Stockholm- Sephiroth and Yuffie
by Tifa-Lockhart-Scarlet
Summary: Bent on revenge upon Cloud Strife, Sephiroth plots to Kill Tifa Lockhart. When he finds Cloud to be missing, and discovers Tifa's spunky companion, Yuffie, he takes the two hostage. What happens when he suddenly develops feelings for Yuffie. Zack Fair is ressurected and assists Sephiroth in the madness, will he regain memories as he falls for Tifa? (YuffiexSephiroth and tifaxzack)
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, and welcome to my newest experiment! This story is a little whacked out as far as pairings go. I want you to know right now that it isn't solely Yuffie and Sephiroth, there is also Tifa and Zack. Bare with me as a good bit of historical accuracy as far as the series goes, has been more than modestly tweaked. So I don't want to hear complaining about that aspect because I am warning you right now. Also, this is a MATURE story. This means there will be graphic violence, nudity, sexual content etc. MATURE. So don't read If you know you shouldn't. I would also like to ask your forgiveness for any errors that I may make, I do upset with my phone so sometimes there are autocorrected words or misspelled words. I try to catch them, but sometimes I miss them. Sorry! I also want to apologize for the short chapter. I just wanted to give you a small overview. **

**I do not own Final Fantasy**

_Stockholm syndrome, or capture–bonding, is a psychological phenomenon in which hostages express empathy and sympathy and have positive feelings toward their captors, sometimes to the point of defending them. _

**Chapter 1: prologue**

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Three long years had passed since Cloud and the gang had defeated Sephiroth and saved the planet from complete and utter destruction. During the battles Seventh Heaven sustained some critical damage, and Yuffie's little home on the edge of town was obliterated. Needless to say, the years that had passed were far from peaceful. During the past three years, much conflict within Avalanche had occurred.

Cloud Strife had up and disappeared about two years after the incident with Sephiroth. He had vanished without a trace, leaving Tifa to manage the delivery business, Seventh Heaven, and Marlene and Denzel on her own for a few months. Thankfully for her, Yuffie, her seemingly only friend in the world, stepped in to help out in whatever ways she could.

Life was awfully lonesome for the two of them, Vincent had recently rejected Yuffie's love confession and since that time, he all together stopped speaking to her, and rarely even showed his face around Tifa. Together, Yuffie and Tifa did their best to hold their lives together. Little did they know, their normal lives were about to be shaken to the core.

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Three years, three long and treacherous years had gone by, and to Sephiroth, it felt like a visit to his long lost brother was well overdue. He had spent a year and a half researching the resurrection of a cadaver in order for his perfect revenge. His plan was flawless, perfect and sweet. It was no longer Cloud's blood that he lusted after, no... It was his very heart and soul. The ballsy woman who had once come after Sephiroth herself, the one Cloud used to gush about back in their days as SOLDOER. Tifa Lockhart. Sephiroth had an assistant now, who would be accompanying him in this ultimate scheme of revenge. Zack Fair, whom he had just successfully resurrected from the dead using a series of spells, restoration Materia and his own flesh and blood.

He danced with anticipation as he imagined what Cloud's face would look like after the head of his beloved Tifa rolled off of her fragile body and thump into Cloud's boots. He could taste the terror on his tongue, the excitement of feeling flesh being sliced through With his blade was all too much for him, he could hardly wait.

"Oh I can taste it." He exclaimed as he exited his study.

Zack remained silent as he stood by his master's side. Sephiroth had meticulously rewired the boy's brain, his memories were buried deep within himself, with no possible hope of retrieval. The only desire Zack had was to serve Sephiroth Faithfully, but mysteriously he held fast to his 'puppy dog' personality. Sephiroth, although he would never admit it, just couldn't stand to see that aspect of Zack go.

"Master." Zack spoke as he looked at Sephiroth.

Sephiroth's green eyes rested upon Zack and he motioned for Zack to continue.

"Will you be needing me to assist you today, in the mission?" He asked, almost eagerly.

"You will simply be waiting in the car." Sephiroth started as he grabbed hold of his blade. "This will only take but a moment."


	2. Chapter 2:abducted

**Hello readers! Hope that I wasn't too vague in that first chapter. I want you to know I appreciate you reading! Thanks so much!**

**I DO NOT OWN FINAL FANTASY **

**_Chapter 2: abducted _**

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"I just don't understand what the fuck their problem is!" Yuffie exclaimed as she placed herself on the counter of Tifa's bar. Tifa looked at her friend annoyed, she was trying to clean the counters.

"Language, Yuffie." Tifa stated sternly. "And get your lazy ass of the counter, we have cleaning to do." She said with a light giggle as she gently smacked Yuffie's leg with the cleaning rag.

"Ouch!" Yuffie teased as she rubbed the place the rag had just slapped. She then hoped down from the bar and began her duties as a bar keep with Tifa. She was finally able to help out since she was now 21, and of legal age. Up until now she was simply doing deliveries for Tifa and babysitting here and there. She enjoyed watching the kids, but working in the bar was way more fun. But it really irked her that Cloud had just abandoned them both, and seemingly he took Vincent with him.

Yuffie still felt the sting of Vincent's harsh words upon his rejection of her love. _'You are just a child, Yuffie.' _She bit her lip, trying not to think of the matter. She admired Tifa for her strength. She never cried, cursed or beat the shit out of anything. She simply stick to her words: "Cloud is Cloud." Meaning Cloud will be back. She and Tofa both knew he would _not_ be back.

"Don't you ever miss him?" Yuffie blurted as she swept a pile of dirt into the dustpan in her right hand. Tifa firmly placed a glass on the freshly cleaned counter, a hairline crack suddenly appearing across it's surface.

Tifa looked up at Yuffiw, a hint of agitation gracing her face. She heaved a heavy sigh and relaxed her suddenly tense shoulders. "Well of course i do, but I can't think about it. It only makes me upset, and I don't have time for that." Tifa stated. She knew Yuffie was experiencing some heartbreak of her own, and Tifa did her best to be understanding of that. It was rather difficult, though, because Tifa's heart had been torn a long time ago by her one and only. He simply continued to reopen that same wound over and over.

"Im sorry Tifa. It's just that... Well I always wonder wha would happen if Vincent would have liked me back." Yuffie started. "So I can't help bit feel like you wonder the same type of things about Cloud." Yuffie growled and dropped her bro angrily. "Men are such assholes!l"

"You're right about that, Yuffie." Tifa said with a slight giggle.

Yuffie sighed exasperated. "I gotta pee." She infoes Tifa before heading up the stairs to do her business.

Tifa continued drying her glasses, letting out another small giggle at her friend's behavior. If she was honest with herself, Yuffie was the Only thing keeping her sane. Suddenly, Tifa heard the bell sound as the front door to the bar swung open. '_Cloud?_' She thought to herself as her heart began to pound nervously.

She walked around the bar after drying her hands and looked up in the direction of the door. Her eyes widened dramatically as they examined who stood there. A large and eerily familiar blade was held out perpendicular to the floor, just inches from her neck. Icy green eyes pierced hers, and she silently thanked God the children were with Barret. "S-sephiroth." She whispered. She knew then, a large battle was about to take place.

Swiftly, she pushed his blade aside with her bare hands, spring up onto the counter of the bar and leapt from there. She extended her left foot and bent her right knee, landing a firm kick on his chest which was guarded by his free arm. He gave her a menacing smirk and flicked her off of him with ease.

Tifa flipped backward and landed back on her feet. She hadn't the time to waist to put her gloves on, not now. A sudden pain seared through her left upper arm, tearing her avalanche ribbon, and her skin. Blood dropped from the fresh wound and she gritted her teeth.

Sephiroth lowered his blade and approached her slowly, darkness all around him. It was thick and made the air heavy and hard to breathe. "Where is he?" Sephiroth asked as he suddenly grabbed hold of Tifa's brown locks and raised her head, forcing her to look him in the eye.

"Who?!" She spat, glaring intently at her father's killer.

Sephiroth released her hair and landed a hard right hook across her cheek. She flew with a spin sideways and landed on a table, smashing it to pieces. "You know who I'm talking about, Tifa." He said venomously as he walked up to her. He grabbed hold of her shirt, raising her with ease. "Cloud."

"H-he's gone." Tifa admitted, through the pain now throbbing across her entire face.

"Where?! Do not lie to me!" He ordered.

"He left almost two years ago!" She exclaimed, pushing away from him and finding her feet.

"Lies!" Sephiroth spat, as he held his blade, once more, to her throat.

Just then, Yuffie rushed down the stairs upon hearing the commotion. Her heart stopped when she saw the white haired demon standing there, ready to kill her best friend. "Wh-what the hell do you think you're doing to Tifa?! " she exclaimed as she leapt from the middle of the stairwell and landed upon Sephiroth's blade, causing it to lower about a foot. Tifa took the opportunity to step back and apply her gloves.

Sephiroth stared upon the being that perched upon his blade with widened eyes. His heart rate increased just minutely as she stared him down with a fierce fiery gaze. Her balance, and grace was equally matched by her anger and hatred toward him. He could see it in her eyes, how much the young girl detested him and it aroused and peaked his curiosity. "Where is Cloud?!" He demanded, suddenly as he redirected his attention to the mission he had laid out for himself.

"That piece a shit hasn't been around for a year and a half!" Yuffie exclaimed as she drew a small Kunai knife from her boot. "What the hell you want with him, anyhow?" She demanded, leaping off of his blade and onto the floor near Tifa, both girls taking a fighting stance.

"Is this true? You do not know the location of Tifa Lockhart's lover?" Sephiroth Inquired curiously. He did not know why, but for some reason he believe the small ninja girl.

"Yes!" Yuffie spat as her grip on her weapon tightened.

"He is not my..." Tifa began but she suddenly felt herself hit the cold hard floor of her bar. Her right ankle had been captured by Sephiroth's stern grip and he began dragging her outside.

Yuffie quickly grasped at the air where her friend once stood and then she bolted out the door behind them.

Sephiroth thew Tifa violently against a black Cadillac that was parked sloppily in front of Seventh Heaven and she soon rolled to the ground, moaning in pain and clutching her ribs.

"How dare you!" Yuffie growled as she charged Sephiroth. Swiftly, he grabbed hold of her wrists and bound them behind her back with some type of electrical energy. The energy soon shot through her entire body and she collapsed to the ground near Tifa. she moaned in pain, and desperately wanted to rise and fight the man but she could not.

Sephiroth knelt down and looked at the two helpless woman who lay on the concrete. He turned his attention to Yuffie, looking her directly in the eye. "I didn't intend to take an extra victim... But you intrigue me." He smirked venomously and knelt down even closer to her, she could feel his hot breath on her neck. "You'll be mine to keep." He whispered.


	3. Chapter 3:Hopeless

**Hello readers! I'm surprised to see some people actually reading this. FFVII is rather old, after all. So I'm happy people still love and appreciate it as much as I do! Hopefully you're all enjoying it. It's only gonna get more intense. So hang on!**

**I DO NOT OWN FINAL FANTASY**

_**Chapter 3: Helpless**_

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Tifa was hurled into the front seat of the car after having her wrists bound with the same electrical energy Yuffie's were. Here eyes widened upon seeing the familiar Mako eyed driver. "Z-Zack?" She whispered as she stared at him in awe. Gazing upon him seemed to numb her pain only momentarily. Zack was unresponsive as he looked upon her. It was clear to Tifa that this was not the Zack she had once known. His eyes lacked that spark and adventure that only Zack Fair had within him. Tifa quickly looked away from him and looked out the window at her bar. Sephiroth ushered Yuffie into the back seat with himself and closed the door once both were in and secured.

"Drive." Sephiroth ordered while keeping his eyes fixated on Yuffie. Immediately, Zack started up the car and before they knew it they were speeding away from Seventh Heaven. Yuffie returned Sephiroth's gaze with a fierce and intense glare. She was not about to show any signs of fear or weakness in his presence.

"What the hell do you want with us?" She spat, intensifying her glare as much as she could.

"You'll see. It would be wise of you to keep your mouth shut, girl." Sephiroth replied, calmly yet firmly. He spoke with great authority, and as he replied he did not take his eyes away from her. He couldn't help but gaze upon her curiously. He couldn't place it, but he wondered if it might be desire that he was experiencing.

Yuffie sank in her seat, her mind traveled to all kinds of places, wondering just what he had in mind for her and Tifa. She could only imagine what sick and demented things may go through his twisted mind. Suddenly, she caught glimpse of a pair of blue eyes in the rear view mirror. There was no mistaking those Mako eyes, they belonged to Zack Fair. She sat up once more and leaned forward a bit. "Zack?!" She exclaimed. Suddenly, a hand was pressed firmly against her chest, and forced her back in her seat violently.

"Do not move, and do not speak. Understand?" Sephiroth asked as he looked over at her angrily.

Yuffie would've rubbed her chest where he had shoved her, but her arms were still bound. His touch had been extremely painful, and she knew she had underestimated his strength. She hadn't fought him personally, but through his action, she was able to measure his strength. She knew he wouldn't be an easy opponent, and had to admit she would never be able to defeat him alone. This made her heart sink a little.

Up in the front seat of the car, Tifa seemed deep in thought as she stared out the window. Her thoughts were similar to Yuffie's, she wondered what Sephiroth wanted from them. It was most likely a tactic to draw Cloud out of hiding, but as far as she knew, Cloud wasn't coming. She wondered how on earth Sephiroth had managed to revive Zack, but still, something was off about him. She found herself staring at him suddenly, examining his features to see if it really was her old friend. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary with his appearance, but she knew better than to trust him.

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The car ride was surprisingly short, it had only taken about 40 minutes to arrive at the destination. It had been so long since either of the girls had been this far away from Midgar and things were starting to look a lot less desolate. The car had suddenly come to a stop in front of a large, cobblestone mansion. Sephiroth stepped out of the car and leaned back in. Yuffie felt his strong grip upon her upper arm and he yanked her out of the car and onto her feet.

"Well holy shit!" She exclaimed as she looked upon the glorious monstrosity before her. It was magnificent, and it looked like something of royalty.

"Get used to it, you'll be here a while." Sephiroth said plainly as he began to lead her toward the door. Yuffie hadn't realized just how large this man was, but now that she was standing next to him, he seemed to tower over her.

Zack had quickly exited the vehicle and opened Tifa's door. He helped her out and onto her feet, as soon as she was stable, he began walking with her toward the mansion behind Sephiroth and Yuffie.

"Why are you doing this, Zack?" Tifa asked, angrily. She knew Zack would never stoop so low as to work with someone like Sephiroth again, something was terribly wrong and Tifa knew it.

Zack suddenly came to a hault and looked at Tifa angrily. "Don't speak to me as if you know me." He said, harshly before beginning to drag her once more.

Tifa looked at him shocked, this was not Zack whatsoever.

Sephiroth opened the door to his home and stepped inside with Yuffie. Her eyes widened at the magnificence before her. Upon entering, she noticed an eloquent and meticulously crafted spiral stair case to their left, and then a long hallway that they faced. The walls were lined with weaponry and paintings of war. It was clear to her, that the man was very dark. Zack entered with Tifa a few moments after Sephiroth and Yuffie had.

Sephiroth yanked Yuffie to the base of the stair case and looked back at Zack. "Take her and dress her wounds, then prepare her for an interrogation. I will be down shortly to do so."

"Yes sir. Would you like for me to feed her?" Zack asked.

"No." Sephiroth said, firmly. "I don't want for her to vomit while she is tormented."

"What the hell do you plan to do to Tifa!?" Yuffie exclaimed as she broke free of his grip and stepped back.

Sephiroth drew her close to him once more and squeezed her arm. "Yuffie." He spoke as his face grew closer to hers, his lips were soon against her ear and she shivered upon feeling his breath hitting her skin. "I'd be more worried about what I am going to do to you." He whispered. She gulped, as the terror had finally set in. She hadn't really felt an ounce of fear until this moment. He then pulled away from her and smirked down at her.

He could see it, the ferocity in her eyes being slowly replaced with fear and terror. Sephiroth held fast to her arm and dragged her upstairs after Zack excused himself with Tifa. After reaching the top step, Yuffie squinted, as she tried to see. It appeared to be another hallway, but it was extremely dark. She felt him leading her down the hallway, and she resisted the temptation to draw close to him, despite the darkness around her that filled her with fear.

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They finally reached a door at the very end of the hallway and she heard it open with a creak. Suddenly, she felt his hand on her back pushing her firmly into the room. She stumbled in and blinked, trying to see. Sephiroth entered behind her and flicked the light on after locking the door.

Yuffie blinked several times, as her eyes adjusted to the light. The room was extremely elaborate and the furnishings looked highly expensive. On the left side of the room, there was a large bed with a black sheer canopy. A red leather couch with golden rivets in the cushions rested on the opposite end of the room, and it appeared to have a deck that extended from the back of the room judging by the two glass doors that faced them. She knew the man must be extremely wealthy, and she began to wonder what she could pocket.

Seohiroth turned his back to Yuffie and walked up to a large mahogany desk that sat perpendicular to the bed. He placed his palms firmly on it's surface and leaned into it a bit. _'What are you doing with her? She may just be a hindrance... Still...' _He thought to himself as he looked over his shoulder at the girl. She appeared to be taking in and studying her surroundings, no doubt an instinct any shinobi would have. He couldn't deny the pull he felt toward her. He removed his gloves and places them neatly on the desk before approaching her.

Yuffie took a few steps back as she noticed the man drawing nearer to her. Suddenly, he grabbed hold of her shoulders firmly and turned her around. He then released the binds that held her and her arms dangled freely for a moment. Yuffie turned to face him quickly and slapped him firmly across his right cheek.

It it was enough momentum to tilt his head slightly. Sephiroth angrily grabbed hold of her wrist and squeezed it tightly. "How dare you." He said with a smirk.

"What the hell are you, a masochist?!" Yuffie exclaimed. _'Who smiles after being slapped? _Yuffie gasped as she felt herself being dragged to his bed, things were becoming clear now. He firmly pushed her down after moving aside the sheer covering over the bed. She struggled a bit but he soon had her arms pinned down at her sides.

"Fuck you!" She screamed as he hovered over her.

"That is my plan." He said, smirking once more. He was quick to remove Yuffie's shirt and he gave a slight Grunt as he admired her breasts.

Yuffie's heart pounded In her chest as he continued to disrobe her. She tried to put up a fight but the man was simply much too strong. Sephiroth stood momentarily to remove his long and thick trench coat. As it hit the floor, Yuffie noticed what a perfect physic the man had. She quickly shook off the thought and scooted further on the bed.

He stripped him self down to his boxers and climbed on to the bed with her. She and he both only in their undergarments now. She sat up and scooted backward more but he quickly pulled her to him and straddled her. He placed several rough and violent kisses on her lips as his hands gripped her breasts and squeezed them hard. Yuffie thrashed about but it was thwarted each time. His lips were so cold against hers and she began to feel his member stiffen and press hard against her. She gasped when he touched her between her legs, while continuing to kiss her. She could feel his hair surrounding them like a silver blanket that tickled upon her skin with each momvent he made.

Pushing aside the fabric of her panties, a long index finger circled around her folds, teasing her. His kisses soon moved to her neck and he softly pressed his lips against her skin. She whimpered as his finger moved itself into her body. He pushed it deep, causing her to moan a bit, involuntarily. Soon, he inserted another finger an began to slide them in and out, rapidly.

Yuffie pressed agains his chest, hard. This was not what she wanted, this was torture and it degraded her body. "Stop it!" she growled as she tried to move away from him.

"Why would I do such a thing, when you're just now so wet." He taunted. She could feel her cheeks hot with blush and rage. It was an odd mixture of emotions that were welling up within her, but what she knew surely, was that she had to get away.

"I don't want this! You're sick!" She screamed.

Sephiroth glared down a her and withdrew his fingers from her body. He firmly grabbed hold of her wrists and pinned them above her head. He studied her petite figure and licked his lips subtly before leaning down to her neck. "This will remind you of your place." He whispered before opening his mouth wide and biting into the skin of her neck hard enough to draw blood. Yuffie screamed out in pain as blood trickled from her neck. He raised his body up and smirked at her, blood lining his lips and running down the center of his bottom lip.

"I-" She began as she gasped for air. Her body was going into shock. '_What is he doing to me?! She thought fearfully._ "I hate you!"

He smirked and licked the excess blood away from her bare skin. "Good." He said firmly as he removed her underwear.

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Zack lead Tifa to a small examination room and helped her onto a sterile table. She looked about, studying what was around her. The room was intensely white and it was hard to focus with the humming of the fluorescent lights above.

"Remove your shirt." Zack asked, plainly.

"Wh-what?! No!" Tifa barked as she felt her cheeks blush. It was such a strange request, but what was even stranger was whom it came from. It was hard to look at him as a villain, the face he wore was Zack's. This made it difficult for Tifa to process anything. Zack simply let out a sigh and removed her shirt for her. Tifa hadn't a clue why she allowed him to do so so easily. It felt rather natural despite the fact that she and Zack never had that type of relationship, and the fact that this wasn't Zack at all.

"Those bruises wi heal but..." He started as his hands gently rested upon her rib cage, he then began to apply pressure to the bruised area. Tifa winced and instinctively drew back. "Looks like there's at least two broken ribs." He stated, blankly.

"Guess I'm SOLDIER they train you for everything, don't they?" Tifa asked as she gathered herself.

Zack looked at her perplexed and tilted his head to the side curiously. "SOLDIER?" He asked.

"Are you telling me you don't know what SOLDIER is? Have your memories been wiped?" Tifa asked, concerned.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Zack stated as he walked to the cabinet to their right, turning his back to her. Tifa let out an exasperated sigh.

"You really don't remember a thing?" She asked as she watched her former friend withdraw some items from the cabinet.

Zack turned once more to face her. He didn't give her an answer. Truth be told, he had no answers. But he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that he knew this woman from somewhere.

Tida tensed up and winced when she felt his hands on her body once more. He began applying an ointment to the bruised area slowly rubbing it on her skin. He did his best not to stare at her breasts, although it was quite difficult. '_Stop it, Zack, focus. Sephiroth would murder you. ' _He scolded. himself before wrapping up her torso in thin strips of medical gauze. He helped her back into her shirt, looking away frnher breasts as they squeezed into the white tank she donned. His attention was then taken to the gash on her arm.

"That's a nasty cut, huh?" He said as he placed his index finger near the wound.

For a split second, Tifa felt like Zack was really with her. The way he asked the questioned seem so in character for him. But it was short lived by his uninterested facial expression.

It wasn't long and Zack had patched her up well. He seemed to put her a little at ease when he was around but moments later, Sephiroth entered the room and stood in the doorway.

"Go get Yuffie cleaned up, and fed. I'll take it from here." Sephiroth smirked.

"Yes sir." Said Zack.

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Tifa found herself seated upright in a desk, wrists bound firmly to it's surface. The room was like a jail cell, concrete walks and floor, no windows. It was rather eerie. Sephiroth had been circling the desk for minutes now, sizing her up and reviewing his questions mentally. Finally, he stopped circling her and faced her.

"We can make this easy, miss Lockhart, or we can make this hard." He spat, venomously.

"What is it you want with Yuffie and I?" Tifa demanded.

"What I want from you, and what I want from Yuffie, are two very different things." He replied as he leaned down to look her in the eye.

"And what's that?"

Sephiroth glared at Tifa intensely. "Where is Cloud?!" He snapped, suddenly.

"I don't know." Tifa replied, cooly. It was obvious that sephiroth did not like her response. He grabbed hold of her index finger on her right hand

"Tell me." He warned.

"I told you, I do not know." She stood firm to her answer. Suddenly, pain shot though her hand as he twisted her finger, breaking it and dislocating it with ease. She let out a scream and gritted her teeth.

"Now, maybe that'll jog your memories. Where is he?" Sephiroth said with a satisfied smirk.

"I-I don't know!"

"Miss Tifa." Sephiroth said, as he grabbed hold of her middle finger. "Your hands are your weapons, no? I would hate to have to take your only defense away. All I need to know is where Cloud is. Why are you hiding him?" He said, as he played with her finger before snapping it as he did with the other.

Tifa growled out in pain, and spit in his face. "Breaking my fingers isn't gonna give you a single damn answer! I have no idea where he..." She was cut off suddenly by a swift and firm fist to her face. Blood trickled down her lip and she spit once more, red speckles landing on the desk before her.

"Your love and devotion for him, astounds me." Sephiroth said as his face became pale. He seemed Appalled. Suddenly he grabbed hold of her ring finger and broke it alongside the other two. Tifa screamed once more and he responded with another hard blow to her face. His anger was growing, and he knew if he stayed any longer he would probably kill her.

"You are persistent in defending him." he said as he released her wrists and drew her to her feet . He then pressed her firmly against the cell wall and pushed her again hard. "You had better be prepared for what comes next. I will find him." He said before delivering a hard blow to her stomach. Tifa coughed hard and pushed the man away from her. She took a swing at him angrily, but he dodged it with ease.

She continued to swing at him, and managed to land a firm left hook across his face. This angered him greatly, and he snapped. He grabbed hold of her neck and raised her, he then slammed her into the wall and squeezed her neck until she went pale. Once she was significantly weakened, he dropped her limp body and kicked her roughly in the ribs, causing her to cry out in pain.

"You will regret that, Tifa." He warned before exiting the cell, and locking her in.


	4. Chapter 4: regrets

**Upon the request of a reviewer I have recently changed one of the genres of the story to 'horror'. However, there is still romance involved in the story but for that I suppose you will have to read and find out about. Another thing that was brought to my attention was my mistakes, and bad grammar! I apologize :( like I stated in my first chapter, there are a few things that slip passed my sights as I'm editing. I do write with my phone the majority of the time. Also, last chapter I had to re-write three times on a PC, got frustrated went back to writing on my phone. So if it seemed rushed, I greatly apologize! I promise you I am not uneducated. One more thing I would like to disclaim, I know that many of you might dislike my interpretation of Sephiroth and his personality, but this is the way it is. If you read on, and wait patiently, things will be explained within the story. Anyway, I do appreciate the constructive reviews, as thy make me think and keep me on my toes. Thanks. **

**I DO NOT OWN FINAL FANTASY **

**_Chapter 4: regret_**

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Zack Fair made his way up the spiraled steps slowly. His mind was clouded, plagued with images of the busty brunette woman he had just handed over to Sephiroth. God knows what he may be doing to her at this very moment. He ran a hand through his thick, dark locks before stepping up on the final step. He let out a sigh and made his way down the dark hallway. He was beginning to know the place backward and forward, after being under Sephiroth's lead for over a month now.

Sephiroth vaguely explained to Zack who he was, or why he was here, but up until now, Zack's curiosity had not been peaked. He finally reached the door to his master's bedroom and opened it up. His hand reached around the wall for the light switch and once he found it, he flicked it on. He let out a surprised gasp when he saw a small figure crumpled on the bed and draped in sheets. She seemed extremely distressed and it pulled at Zack's heart. This feeling was new for him, he hadn't a clue what it was, or what it meant but he instantly rushed to the girl's side.

"What happened?" He asked as he placed a hand gently on her bare arm. The girl jolted up and covered her naked body in the sheet. She looked terrified, angry and quite shaken, but her eyes softened a bit as she examined the man's face.

"Zack." She whispered as she flung her arms around him. Zack's body stiffened and he drew back. He suddey became extremely uncomfortable.

"Do I know you, miss?" He asked as he grabbed hold of her shoulders firmly and pushed her away from him. He examined her face, the girl seemed rather agitated at his statement, but he could still see the fear within her ebony colored orbs.

"Of course you do, Zack! It's me, Yuffie." She said, lightly smacking his head. "Let's get out of here." She said, standing up. When Zack remained still, she shook her head in disbelief. "Oh not you too. Look, you better not come near me!" She warned as she took a step back.

"I don't intend to hurt you, miss, but we aren't leaving the facility." He stated, plainly.

Yuffie stepped back a few more feet, bumping into the nightstand near the bed and gasping. Her body ached in pain, and she felt as though she must've been in some sort of nightmare. Zack was dead, as was Sephiroth. But last night had been all to real, Yuffie could still feel Sephiroth's cold touch, his hair tickling her body and his teeth deep in her neck.

Zack grabbed his head for a moment, alarmed by the sudden rush of anger he felt within himself. As he looked upon the fragile girl before him, he could tell she had experienced a great seal of trauma and violence. He could see it in her behavior, the tone of her voice and the way she carried herself. How he knew, though, was a mystery to him. It was like facts about her body, it's condition and what had happened were all flooding into his mind. Zack shook his head and walked up to her.

"What did he do to you?" he asked firmly.

"I'll tell you, just get me out of here!" She exclaimed, fighting tears. She could tell something was off about this man, he seemed to flash back and forth between a foreigner and a friend.

"As I said before, we are not leaving. But my Master should never have hurt you, it is not his place to lay hands on someone like you." He said as he grabbed hold of her arm.

"Master?! What? You're working for him really, Zack?! And just how the hell did you manage to come back dr the dead?!" Yuffie shouted. She was unsure herself, why she suddenly began questioning him. Most likely because she once viewed him as a big, strong hero. He would never do such things. But for some reason, His anger toward what Sephiroth had done to her, comforted her a little.

Zack did not answer the girl, he simply ushered her to another room to get her cleaned up and in some fresh clothing.

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Sephiroth walked swiftly to his study and once inside, he slammed the door shut. His mind was whirling with thoughts and ideas, but the majority of them were less and less about Tifa, and more about the mysterious girl he had brought home. This was not his first experience with a female, and despite what his fellow SOLDIER may say, he had certainly been around. Often times when they traveled, prostitues and entertainers would go out of their way to snag a SOLDIER, just to say they did. he gritted his teeth and paced the room back and fort_h. 'Why, why wasn't it as exhilarating.' _There was no satisfaction in harming Yufifie, and his mind could not digest this fact.

"I'll just have to kill her, then." He said aloud, feeling as though he had resolved the matter simply. But he stopped at the door and his hand slowly released it's grip on the handle , dangling for a moment. Something within him was still drawn to her. Each time he closed his eyes, images of her terrified face flashed before him. He could hear her screams in the back of his mind, each time a moment of silence passed. Growling, Sephiroth walked away from the door and further into his study.

_'This is preposterous. Guilt is a feeling and you do not feel!' _Sephiroth scolded himself as he continues marching from one end of the library to the other. He closed his eyes tightly and grabbed his head, in agony. Too many thoughts were flooding his mind, it was becoming overwhelming.

"Sephiroth!" Came an angry voice de outside the door.

He removed his hand that clutched his face and straightened out. "Come in, Zack." Sephiroth replied.

Zack stormed in ferociously, glaring at the man he called his 'master'. "What are you doing to that woman?" He exclaimed It was evident that Zack was aggravated, his face was red and the veins within it were protruding a bit.

Sephiroth immediately knew that allowing Zack to have access to his emotions was a large mistake. Although Zack still had no idea who these women were, he still detested violence toward women, especially I'm a physical manor. Zack understood that Tifa was the enemy, and that he was not to show mercy to her. But Yuffie was unplanned, there was no time to prepare Zack for this.

"Zack." Sephiroth stated, firmly. "You are not to worry about this. Yuffie is mine to deal with, and I do not need you questioning me. Am I understood?"

"Y-yes sir but..." Zack started as he looked down a bit.

"Fair!? Are you questioning me? " he boomed.

Zack shook his head. "No sir! But... If you showed the girl a bit of kindness... She might come to trust you."

"How dare you... Kind-ness?" Sephiroth cringed upon speaking the foul word. But Zack may have made a rather viable point. "Zack," he said auddenly.

"Yes, sir?" Zack replied, looking up at his master with curious eyes.

"Leave me to my study, I have things to do. Tend to the prisoner, she has fresh wounds. Once you are finished, bring her some food." He said as he took his place behind a large wooden desk.

Zack nodded. "Sir, would you like me to bring food to your mistress as well?" Zack was speaking of Yuffie, although he didn't wish to think of her that way, he knew there was no arguing with Sephiroth.

'_Mistress...' _Sephiroth thought for a moment. "Yes, please do so."

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Tifa had spent the last hour attempting to take apart the desk in her cell, but it was to no avail. Her right hand was completely useless after Sephiroth had cruelly broken three of her fingers. The breaks were so severe, even her knuckles were dislocated. It hurt just thinking about it. She tried to keep busy by walking about, but once she had the urge to pee, it became rather hard. The pressure on her abdomen was becoming more and more unbearable. She sat on the ground and crossed her legs_. 'What have you gotten me into, Cloud.'_ She thought to herself.

Just then, the door to her cell swung open and Zack stood in the doorway. "Come with me." He Ordered.

Tifa stood, painfully and slowly walked out the doors of the cell. "Zack," she started before realizing how strange the situation really was. "I have to pee." She blurted through broken lips.

He looked back at her, and gave her a relatively compassionate nod. "Okay, this way." He said, taking a sharp right down a separate hallway. He then lead her into a large and immaculate guest bathroom, nearly the size of her bedroom back home. "Two minutes, no funny business." Zack warned before exiting the bathroom. Tifa walked further inside and caught glimpse of herself in the mirror.

'Oh God I look horrible.' She thought to herself. She lifted her shirt with her left hand looked upon her the wraps around her rib cage. He seemed to have done a decent job on dressing those wounds, but now it was her hands se was concerned about.

After struggling a bit to do her business, she washed her hands painfully and then exited the bathroom. It appeared that Zack was just about to go in after her. He could see the grimace on her face.

"Let me see." He said, calmly. Tifa held out her shaky right hand to him, and he grabbed it with his left quite gently. "Mm." He said before releasing her hand. He then turned and began walking to the room he had dressed her wounds not too long before.

Zack helped her onto the sterile seat she had been on before and once more looked at her mangled fingers. "Damn." He said as he shook his head. His dark locks swaying with the movement He made.

Tifa looked at him concerned, by the expression his face donned, she knew that the damage must be substantial. Suddenly she was jarred from her thoughts when he grabbed hold of her fingers.

"Tifa." He aaid, sternly. Her heart pounded when she heard him speak her name. She couldn't figure out why. She tried to remind herself that he was not someone she could trust. "This is going to hurt." He informed.

Tifa gulped and gave him a nod. "Okay."

"Hold onto my arm with your left hand." Hw said as he looked her in the eye. Tifa returned his gaze and felt a little more at ease. She gripped his right bicep with her left hand tightly. Suddenly. She let oud a loud, painful cry as he yanked on her fingers with great force. Tears streamed down her face from shock and agony and her breathing was heavy and unsteady.

"I'm sorry." Zack spoke Cooly. His thumb grazed over her fingers back and forth softly to offer some type of comfort to the crying girl. After a moment, he found himself gazing into her wine eyes once more and he was overcome with a slight tinge of pain in the base of his neck. He released her hand and rubbed his neck. "Ah,"

Tifa gathered herself and looked at her former friend, he appeared to be in a great deal of discomfort. "Are you okay, Zack?"

"I'm fine."

"What happened to the Zack I once knew?" She whispered as her eyes found the floor.

He blinked a few times and looked at her. He took in her features, studying her posture and expressions. 'Where have I met you before?' He thought to himself. '_She pretends to know me.' _He sighed, thinking about the current situation. He knew that of Sephiroth found out about him asking any type of questions, he would be furious. _'But, maybe she knows something important... She'll be here a while, it might no be so bad To ask..' _


	5. Chapter 5:stories

**Hi! Thank you so so much for your time. I really appreciate it. Please continue to forgive me fore my mistakes as I write. I know that It's annoying.. :( Anyway... Please enjoy! To a certain reviewer: Don't question my motives and reasoning as far as why I write on my phone, You don't know me ! I may or may not have a working computer. The fact that I write with my phone does not define my passion for writing or for this story! Also, I like my dots that separate my story into segments. Hence I said dots, they are not dashes. They are periods, this leads me to believe that you were reading on your phone! Because I use these periods to separate things does not make me lazy! I like it that way. If ya wanna write your own story that's 100000 times better, be my guest! I'd love to read it! ;) **

**Thank you to all of my followers and encouraging reviewers. You are loved and appreciated. **

**I DO NOT OWN FINAL FANTASY  
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**_Chapter 5: Stories_**

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Zack entered his master's study the next morning, early after rising and tending to Tifa's wounds, and bringing Yuffie breakfast. His Mako eyes enlarged at the sight before him. Sephiroth was face down on his desk, his white hair cascading around him. What was more shocking and perplexing though, was the fact that he was surrounded by multiple books. It appeared he had stayed up the entire night studying something. He inched closer to the desk, careful not to make a sound. Slowly, he grabbed hold of one of the books and brought it up to see it. He scratched his head and quirked an eyebrow. It seemed to be a romance novel._ 'What on earth...?' _He thought to himself. The more he looked about the desk, he noticed that every single book around his master was one about love, romance, and relationships. "S-sephiroth?" Zack stated nervously.

Sephiroth did not budge, and Zack was unsure if the man was even still breathing. He approached the desk further, standing near the chair that his master was slumped in. "Sir.." He said, gently poking his shoulders. Suddenly, Sephiroth jolted up and grabbed hold of Zack's wrist. He pulled his wrist down and planted it firmly on the desk.

"What do you think you are doing?!" Sephiroth snapped.

"S-Sir! I came looking for you. You didn't come down for breakfast." Zack explained.

Sephiroth's green eyes widened as he slowly released Zack's wrist. "Forgive me, I was sleeping." He said, calmly. "How, how is the girl?"

"Miss Yuffie, or.."

"Yuffie. Is she angry?"

"Well, with all due respect sir, you did.."

"Don't speak of it! Know your place, Zack." Sephiroth warned. He then rubbed his sleepy eyes and stood, stretching out a bit.

"So, what were you studying?" Zack asked innocently.

For a split second, you could see a tinge of pink in Sephiroth's cheeks. But it quickly vanished, without a trace. "None of your concern." He stated, coldly. He took a moment to recall the night before. After Zack had mentioned kindness, Sephiroth became curious as to what that could entail. Knowing nothing about a true relationship, he decided to study up on it, and soon he was swept up in romance novel after romance novel, unable to put them down. They were passionate and lacked no detail, enticing him more and more with each sultry word that had been written. He had desperately hoped to learn how to handle himself around a woman without trying to harm, or kill her. This was a new world for him, and at first he was reluctant to accept it. But after reading that first story, he could not stop. He was rather embarrassed, and wanted Zack out of the room immediately.

"Sir, if you ever need any advice, I would be happy to help you."

"Zack, why would I ask you for advice when you know nothing about life? You simply do what I ask, and nothing more. Do you understand?" He snapped

"Yes sir."

"Go take a walk."

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After dismissing Zack, Sephiroth looked over his desk at the materials before him. He quickly returned them to their shelves, and stored one, his favorite, in the top drawer of the desk. He then Stood and exited, heading toward his room in order to freshen up. As he arrived at his room, his hand lingered on the door handle for a moment, as he thought of the girl that may dwell within. He cracked open the door a bit and peered inside.

Yuffie appeared to be rummaging through his desk drawers, and stuffing things into her pocket. There weren't many valuables with in it, but there was enough to draw any theving hand and wandering eye. She seemed rather focused on what she was doing, taking out each item and examining it before she pushed it into the pockets of the baggy pants of Zack's she had borrowed.

Sephiroth stepped inside the room and stood in the doorway, watching her. Finally, after realizing his presence had gone undetected, he spoke. "What is it you are looking for?"

Yuffie spun around, looking upon him with wide and surprised eyes. Her stomach churned as she realized who it was. The last person she wanted to see was him and she desperatg wanted out of this mansion. He had made sure she could not escape, there were 'eyes' everywhere. After what had happened last night, she didn't have the courage to cross him and his stern warning not to leave. "I..." She began, even more terrified that he may have seen her stealing his personal belongings. She felt the bastard deserved it, the least he could do was help her turn a profit on some things, even though she didn't know if she would ever make it out.

He walked up to her, pushing a hand through his silver locks. She hadn't noticed how similar he and Cloud looked, there was certainly a resemblance that could not be denied. The shape of his nose, and eyes, and his jawline. For a moment, she felt like she was looking upon the blonde. "I believe you have some things that do not belong to you, _Yuffie_." He spoke cooly.

She looked up at him as he towered over her. Her heart skipped a few beats and she took a step backward. "N-no I don't."

Sephiroth shook his head, smiling a little. This smile was rather an odd expression for the man, it almost seemed... Soft. "Keep them." He said, firmly as he placed a hand on her petite shoulder. Yuffie jumped upon feeling his touch. Quickly, he withdrew his hand and stepped away from her giving her a bit of space.

She looked at him confused, unable to decipher his behavior. '_Does he have multiple personalities? Just what does he intend to do with me?' _Yuffie bit her lip a little, she was fearful and curious all at once. She didn't want the events of last night to occur again, she couldn't shake the feeling. She gulped down the lump in her throat.

"Come with me." He requested as he held out a hand covered in a leather fitted glove. He could tell she was extremely reluctant, but she took his hand.

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Sephiroth lead Yuffie around the house, showing her around to familiarize her with it. She had been rather blown away with his assets and possessions, and rather intrigued at his collection of weaponry. Being a shinobi, she was naturally drawn to these things. The home had approximately 6 bedrooms, which were all fully furnished, and 5 and a half bathrooms. It was immaculate and rather clean. Not an item in the house was tilted, out of place or covered in a speckle of dust. She soon realized he must be a perfectionist.

After walking around with him for about an hour, they came across a door that she had not yet seen. "What's in there?" She asked curiously.

"Your friend." He replied coldly.

"Tifa?!" Yuffie exclaimed as she released Sephiroth's hand and approached the door.

Sephiroth grabbed hold of Yuffie's arm and pulled her away from the door firmly. "You must not see her"

"Please!? You have to let me see her!" Yuffie stretches her arm out and with her free hand, she began to pound on the door. "Tifa!"

"Listen to me!" Sephiroth snapped. Before he could speak again he could hear a faint screaming coming from the other side of the door. Soon the door was being pounded upon.

"Yuffie!" A muffled and hysterical voice yelled.

Sephorlth recalled all the books in which he studie the night before. He remembered the male characters in each story that he read, they all expressed some sort of tenderness toward the female they had affections for. Sephiroth was unsure what was going on inside of him, or why he felt the sudden comoultion to win the respect and or affections of this female. It was an intense battle that continued on within his mind.

He let out a sigh. He could see the desperation in Yuffie's eyes, and for an instant he became as weak as he had been in his entire life. "Zack!" He boomed.

A few moments of silence passed before the tall ex SOLDIER rushed downstairs and stood before his master. He gave a respectful bow before his eyes met Sephiroth's. "Yes sir?"

"Please allow Tifa out for a moment." He stated, bluntly.

Zack blinked his mako orbs for a few moments, staring at Sephiroth in shock.

"Did you hear me, Zack?!"

"Uh uh! Y-yes. I heard you." Zack said, fumbling with his keys. He then unlocked the heavy cell door and swung it open. Tifa stared at the opening with wide eyes, and instinct took over. Her legs began walking in a hasty pace and soon she was sprinting out the door. Zack watched her run passed him just about arms length before grabbing hold of her wrist. "Stop!"

Tifa skidded to a stop and looked back at him angrily, she cocked her hand back and slapped him across the face with an audible 'clap'. Zack took hold of her right hand and squeezed it angrily.

"Tifa!" Yuffie exclaimed, catching her friend's attention. She broke free of Sephiroth's grip and ran to Zack and Tifa.

The wine eyed woman cringed in pain upon feeling Zack's angry reaction. But her face paled upon seeing Yuffie, she could tell something was wrong and she soon embraced her and began to weep. "Yuffie!"

"T-Tifa!" She felt her friends body tense as she hugged her tight. She knew Tifa was injured.

"Are you okay? Tifa whispered as she stroked Yuffie's hair. Yuffie did her best to keep calm, and she pushed away the urge to cry.

"I'm fine." She muttered.

Tifa knew this was a lie, but they had an audience and there was no way of getting information from Yuffie.

"Okay, that's enough." Sephiroth demanded. Tifa released Yuffie and pushed away From her. "I will arrange for the two of you to have dinner together this evening. Zack, please take Tifa under your care. Do not let her out of your sight."

"Yes sir." Zack replied.

"She is yours and you may do as you wish." Said Sephiroth as he turned his back to the group. "Yuffie, come."

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Zack had taken Tifa to his room in order to allow her to freshen up. She was currently in his bathroom showering. He slowly made his way inside the bathroom, making sure she wasn't trying anything funny. Her curvaceous silhouette could be seen through the curtain, and she appeared to be shpooing her long thick locks. Zack felt his cheeks grow hot as he sat on the toilet and placed his face in his hands.

"Where are you now, Cloud?" Tifa said audibly. "Wha about that promise you made?"

Zack's ears perked when she spoke. "Cloud?" He asked before realizing he had made a huge mistake.

Tifa shreiked. "Are you spying on me?!" She screamed as she peaked her head out of the curtain.

Zack was blushing brightly, and now standing. "I...I.."

"Sometimes you stil act like the Zack we knew." She glared. "Get out!"

"W-wait.." He said putting his hands up as a defense.

"what?!"

"You say you knew me?" Zack inquired.

"I did. Now I'm not so sure." Tifa replied, unsure what he was getting at.

"Could you... Tell me about it?"


	6. Chapter 6: Meanwhile in Midgar

**Hello my sweet and wonderful readers! As always, I would like to thank you for your continued support and for reading this! I truly appreciate it! :D I had a reviewer recently that had mentioned Cloud and Vincent, and how they may be reacting to all of this! (Which by the way, Vincent has a phone now. Three years after AC he finally decided to join the world) THANK YOU ALL**

**I DO NOT OWN FINAL FANTASY**

**_Chapter 6: Meanwhile in Midgar_**

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He parked his Fenrir in front of the bar he once called home, for the first time in about two years. Once it securely stood on its own, Cloud swung his left leg around and planted two feet firmly on the sidewalk and walked toward the door. It was eerily quiet for the time of day, and all he could hear was the clacking of his steel-toed boots along the asphalt. His hand reached for the door and he raised a blonde brow after noticing it was already open. This didn't sit well within him, his heart stopped and he instantly knew something was wrong. Pushing the door open, he rushed inside. Blue eyes filled with worry as they scanned the downstairs area of his home. No one had been there in some time by the looks of things.

"Tifa." He managed to speak out, firmly. He walked in further, noticing the broken table to his right. _'Obviously some type of fight had occurred.. _' He thought. "Tifa?" He asked, once more with urgency. He knelt down near the table as his eyes focused in on the small pool of blood on the floor. There lay a tattered AVALANCHE ribbon, the bow completely split in two. He picked it up with his bare hands and clenched it in his fist. "Tifa." He whispered. Suddenly, he stood as fear and worry rushed through his body. He sprinted up the stairs, nearly tripping as he stepped over the last step.

He looked down the empty hall, there were a few stray items on the floor, meaning Tifa had not cleaned. It was unlike her, which made the unsettled feeling within him only grow. He rushed to her room and flung the door open. Nothing was out of place, her bed was neatly made, the picture of she and Cloud near her bed on the nightstand still perfectly positioned facing her bed. But Tifa wasn't there, so this was a huge problem. "Dammit." He mumbled under his breath.

He then rushed to Marlene and Denzel's room and burst through the door. "Tifa?!" He shouted with a shaky voice. _'Where are you?'_ He searched even through their closet, she was not there. No one was here. He shook his head angrily and rushed to the office. Things hadn't changed a bit since he'd left. Papers were still here and here, and fairly recent orders were hung upon their bulletin. Cloud's eyes widened when he noticed the red light flashing upon the answering machine. He rushed to it and picked up the phone. Punching in the password for voicemails like the back of his hand.

_'You have 36 new voice mails. To listen to new messages, press one.'_

"Oh shit." He said, audibly as he pressed the one. Soon a familiar and frantic voice boomed within his ear drum.

_'Tifa?! Where the Fuck are you?! Kids are worried, hell I'm worried. Call me back! Barret!'_

Cloud shook his head, a lump growing in his throat as he pressed one to continue on.

_'Yuff, it's Cid. Where ya been, kid? Call me k! Don't get me worried like this dammit.'_

"Yuffie?" Cloud said aloud before moving on.

_'I'm not gonna leave a goddamn message! No I'll look like a stalker!'_

Another voice came in the background. _'I wanna have a drink, dammit. Get yer poop in a group, Teef!'_

_The first voice spoke once more. 'Oh shit.. It's recording.'_ There was silence and then a rustling sound before the next message played. Cloud knew the voices to be Rude and Reno. He nearly jumped when he heard the phone ring loudly in his ear. "Ahhh... Hello?"

_'Cloud?'_ Rasped Barret's familiar and rather unfriendly voice. Silence came for a few moments and then came the storm. _'YOU GOT SOME EXPLAINING TO DO, GODDAMIT! I OUGHTA FU... Oh sorry, Marlene, daddy's on the phone k...'_

"Marlene." Cloud said, quietly as he recalled her sweet face. He had certainly missed her. Truth was, he did have some explaining to do. Especially to Tifa. He had come to do just that, but with the current dilemma, he didn't know how or if he would.

_'Okay spiky you just sit yo blonde ass down, we got a lot to talk about, and frankly, you bein' missin' for so damn long ain't even scratchin' the surface.'_

Cloud ignored Barret's statement. "Where's Tifa?"

_'You think I know, boy? Hoho... you're just as air-headed as you were before ain't ya. Teef's gone missin' with Yuff. Bout a week ago now. Tried to drop off the kids and noticed the place was wrecked. Can't find her.'_

"A week, huh?" Cloud said as he scratched his head, taking in the information. "Any clues?"

_'Nah, man. We searched the place. Nothin'.'_

Cloud slammed his free fist on the desk angrily._ 'Why did I go? Dammit!'_ He thought to himself, regret and anguish welling up within himself. "We have to find he_r."_

_'No shit.' _Barret replied, annoyed.

"Bring the kids here, I'm gonna call Vincent. We're gonna need to round everyone up to find them. They need us right now." Cloud spoke as he shook his throbbing fist and brought it to his face. He pinched the bridge of his nose, tears threatening to fall from his blue eyes.

_'I'm on my way.'_

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Vincent Valentine paced his home, contemplating the words his since returned friend had spoken._ 'Tifa and Yuffie have gone missing.' _This was rather suspicious coming from Cloud, considering he had been gone for such a vast amount of time, and now he returns and Tifa and Yuffie are gone in his stead. But he knew Cloud, and he knew him well enough to know that he would never harm Tifa or Yuffie. A sinking feeling came upon him as he thought of Yuffie, and the last few things he had said to her. It was rather harsh and he began to regret it deeply. He rubbed his temples, as his head began to ache.

He recalled the look of bewilderment on Yuffie's delicate and petite face as he told her that he never loved her. He had been so harsh, and cold hearted when he had done so. Vincent remembered her dark eyes that danced with excitement the day that he had gotten a phone. He remembered how often she would send him ridiculous messages filled with endless semicolons and parenthesis. He found his lips slowly contorting into what he remembered to be a smile as he thought of the young girl that had once plagued him with such joy and annoyingness. Vincent heaved a loud and heavy sigh as he draped himself in his crimson cape and rushed out the door. He felt a heaviness weigh upon his heart as thoughts of Yuffie began flooding his mind. _'What have I done?' _He thought. _'I've driven her away.'_

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"There's just no sign of em'." Barret said as he looked across the living room. Cloud was pacing back and forth, pulling on his blonde hair. Vincent sat on the arm of the couch, his body obviously tense. He scratched his thick, coarse hair. "I've asked around town. Been askin' e'ry day."

"We need to search the vicinity." Vincent spoke, cooly. This was merely a front, inside he was writhing with concern for his two companions. Yuffie more than Tifa, he felt as though Yuffie would easily get herself into trouble, when Tifa would avoid it simply.

"I've done that!" Barret boomed.

"Don't raise your voice, the kids are asleep." Could said. It was almost as if Tifa herself spoke the words that came from his mouth. This was something she often said when the two would stay up late arguing over fickle matters.

"Look again." Vincent stated, as he stood. "There is a heaviness about the atmosphere. I can hear the Planet moaning."

"Planet... Heaviness? You think..." Barret started. Cloud's eyes instantly narrowed. There was no way. No possible way that Sephiroth could have ever returned from that last battle. A sudden tinge of pain surged through his body and he found himself sprinting downstairs to the bar.

Vincent was already there, his blood red eyes meticulously scouring the area. Cloud was rummaging though everything in the bar, frantically. "Stop." Vincent warned. He slowly approached the broken table and knelt down. "This is Tifa's blood."

Cloud closed his eyes and turned away. _'Tifa.' _

"But within the blood..." Vincent began as his fingers drew closer to the dried crimson spot, "is the truth." He said before grabbing hold of a tiny single strand of silver hair that was around 12'' in length. He held it up above his head, examining it closely in the light.

"Ah shit, Cloud... I think you ought'a see this." Barret said as his brown eyes widened. His heart stopped while he looked at the strand of hair.

Cloud rushed over and grabbed hold of Vincent's hand, drawing it close to his face. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. "Sephiroth."


	7. Chapter 7: Trust?

**Hi readers! Thank you all for your continued support and reviews! I really appreciate them! I am very happy you all seem to be enjoying So far. You rock! **

**I DO NOT OWN FINAL FANTASY **

**_Chapter 7: Trust?_**

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It had been a little over a week since Yuffie had been taken out of her home and comfort zone, and placed into the care of a silver-haired mad man. Since that first horrifying day, Sephiroth had not touched her like that again. He slept in the same bed with her at night, but he typically rose much earlier than she, so she hardly noticed his presence. Her heart would race whenever he lay next to her, but oddly enough, she fell asleep so quickly, she would soon find ease. He seemed to be trying to earn her trust in anyway he could. He would kindly bring her breakfast, allow her to see Tifa briefly, and let her wander the house. But his kindness seemed rather forced at times, Yuffie could tell there was a vast duel within him. He would often disappear and be away for hours, studying or even training. She hadn't a clue why, but whenever he would vanish to be by himself, Yuffie's curiosity was peaked.

It was just after one and Sephiroth had disappeared after eating with Yuffie. She assisted Zack with dishes and then meandered down the hallway in the direction she had seen Sephiroth exit. She slowly crept, walkinnon the balls of her feet to help conceal her presence. She peaked in a few doors quietly, but she did not see him. He had not been in his study, or the lab. The lab severely creeped Yuffie out, she was unsure what it was for, or why they needed it, she just knew to avoid it all together. She rounded the corner and headed down the next stretch of hallway. As she looked down, she noticed the carpet beneath her bare feet had changed in texture and color. It was no longer a deep red and plush as she walked along, it was rather worn and almost black. She straightened out her black t-shirt and adjusted her headband before walking further.

Her feet came to a sudden stop when she heard the sound of grunting, and the clashing of steel. She focused in on the sound and edged up to the door cautiously as a lump in her throat began to form. She was a bit nervous, and she felt her hands grow a little moist with sweat. Suddenly the sound of steel clashing against steel ceased and the room went silent. After a moment, thunderous footsteps made their way to the other side of the door. Yuffie silently backed against the wall and began to retreat, but the door swung open and her captor was revealed.

Sephiroth stood there in the doorway, his bare chest and torso were glistening with sweat. His hair seemed to be flatter, as sweat ran down his brow and temples, it was obvious he had been training vigorously. His body was completely flawless from head to toe, there were not even scars upon his perfect and porcelain skin. Yuffie had not seen him so under dressed since the day he had forced himself upon her, and she found herself looking away. She did her best not to think about the incident, and was hoping that Sephiroth would not be angered that she followed him.

"Come in." He spoke, breaking Yuffie from her whirling thoughts. She raised her chin and met his gaze. He didn't seem in the least bit tired or exhausted, even though his body had seemed to be dripping with sweat. Sephiroth did not wait for Yuffie to reply, he simply re-entered his room, leaving the door open for her to follow.

She stood outside for a moment before walking in reluctantly. She had wished that she were wearing something baggy like Zack's, rather than her shorts that barely covered her bum. She spotted Sephiroth on the other end of the room, wiping his face with a thick, plush, black towel. The room appeared to be some type of training or work out room. Many weapons lined the walls, but these were not for decoration. They were all worn and well used. There were a few wooden training mechanisms on the opposite side of the room, obviously used for martial arts. Yuffie was quite familiar with each item in the room. There were areas to train for hand to hand combat, and others to train with blades. This looked like the most occupied room in the home.

For some reason, being surrounded by such familiarities, Yuffie found herself feeling much more at ease and almost at home. Her eyes twinkled a bit as she gazed upon the many shuriken on the wall . They all varied in sizes, some tiny and about the size of a materia, others the size of her entire torso. She gave a small smile as she studied the room. Suddey, she felt a presence behind her. She looked over her shoulder hesitantly and looked back at Sephiroth. The towel was draped softly over his left shoulder and his hair was slightly out of place._ 'It must be hard to fight with all that hair, it's kind of impractical to have so much.' _she thought to herself as she looked upon the towering man.

"Would you like to train?" Sephiroth asked in a monotone.

Yuffie turned to face him and examined his features. He seemed rather stoic, and serious. "Uhm..." She wasn't sure. It wasn't clear if he meant training alone, or together. If it meant together, Yuffie would refuse. His strength was unmatched and she knew it would never beneficial to her. "With..." She began before being interrupted by his deep, cool voice.

"With me." He looked down at her, piercing her with his emerald eyes.

"No." She said firmly as she took a step back.

Sephirpth placed both hands softly atop her petite shoulders. "I do not intend to harm you, only to strengthen you."

"Why would you want to strengthen me?" Yuffie blurted, perplexed.

"Because I can that you desire strength." He replied firmly.

Yuffie's heart stopped momentarily after he spoke. _'How did...' _She wondered if h had somehow peered into her soul. It was very important for her to grow stronger. With no one to train with, she often felt like the weakest of the group. Tifa had always refused to fight with her, often because she was so busy with other things. Cloud had tried, but he quickly lost his patience with her and often blew up on her. Vincent never tried, he simply told her that her body was too fragile and weak to even face him for an instant. Yuffie was all of a sudden overcome with determination. Sephiroth may be her enemy, but as a Ninja, you learn to take any training when you can get would certainly help her become stronger, and in the meantime she could study him for any weakness. It started to sound like a perfect idea.

"Okay. Train me." She said taking a fighting stance. Sephiroth lowered her hands and unclenched her fists. Yuffie looked up at him curiously, her cheeks a bit pink with embarrassment.

"First tell me what you need to improve in."

yuffie contemplated this for a moment. She was good at long range attacks, and it was easy for her to take down an opponent from a distance. But with the lack of training, she realized it was her short range attacks that needed work. In other words, hand to hand. "Short range." She answered, a little nervous to be going up against Sephiroth himself. It was exciting and terrifying all at once. She just wondered if she could trust him at all. He seemed to be the type to snap your neck if you made him too angry.

"Okay." Sephiroth replied as he discarded his towel. "Would you like to fight with a weapon or..."

"No weapons." Yuffie blurted, without thinking. She really wanted to protect herself. She knew full well what he could do with a sword. Tifa's arm was still recovering from that.

"Alright." Sephiroth said as he placed one hand behind his back. The other hand came gracefully out in front of him and his palm faced inward.

She hadn't seen him fight yet, but she could already tell he was quite skilled. She closed her eyes, remembering everything the Wutai masters had taught her before their homes and village were destroyed. She slid her right foot in front of her at a slight angle and she bent her knee loosely. She held both arms out in front of her, with her palms facing him. She studied him, he didn't seem to budge or even blink. It was obvious he was waiting for her to make the first move.

Suddenly, Yuffie lunged at him with breakneck speed and thrusted her left palm forward, aiming at his open torso. In a flash, her blow was deflected and a soft jab to her stomach had sent her stumbling back about a foot. She blinked a few times, confused. She hadn't even seen him move. She shook her head and brushed off the thought. She then crouched down and swung her right leg out at his feet, but he didn't even move. Her leg crashed hard against his. She had used enough momentum to take a man Barret's size down, but Sephiroth moved not an inch.

Anger over came her, and she stood rapidly. He remained in that same position, nothing moved but his eyes as he studied her every movement. Suddenl, she leapt in the air and raised her left knee, extending her left leg toward his face. Her foot was inches from impact when both of his hands grabbed her ankle firmly. His hands felt so cold on her bare skin. He stepped to the side and pulled her leg toward him. The next thin she knew, she had landed softly on the padded floor with Sephiroth's left hand firmly planted on her torso. He was bending over her, her left able still in his grip.

She looked up at him in wonder, her heart racing as he gazed down at her. Suddenly, the man released her and stood up straight. He then extended his hand down to her, offering her his help.

Reluctantly, Yuffie took hold of his hand and once she was up, he released her again. "You've got a long way to go."

"Well that's only because I was fighting against you. It's as if a chipmunk went up against a tiger or something!" Yuffie exclaimed, obviously sulking in her defeat.

Sephiroth paused for a moment upon hearing her metaphor. "It is that simple." he replied. He knew the matter was comparable to a chipmunk and a tiger, only in their case, it was a human and well... _Not_ a human. But he desired to be just as human as she, upon spending more time with her like this, he felt as though she had less fear toward him.

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Tifa had spent the week with Zack, doing her best to re tell the events of his life to him. None of it seemed to sink in or spark any type of memory within him. She still had a few major events to tell him about, as she had taken her time to explain everything out in detail. The man seemed so eager to learn about himself, and began to look at her differently. She didn't seem worthy of being locked up, or even held captive, but he had a duty to fulfill, regardless of if he agreed with it or not.

He walked down to her holding cell and readied the key, when a sudden thought sparked across his mind. He remembered Sephiroth had handed Tifa over to him, saying something along the lines of: '_you may do what you wish with her_' That meant he could keep her out of the cell completely. He eagerly opened the cell upon receiving the sudden revelation.

Tifa rubbed her wine colored eyes as they adjusted to the light that entered in when the door swung open. She heard the footsteps approach her and she looked up at the figure she knew so well now to be Zack's. Gazing upon him sometimes felt a bit surreal. She had wondered if it was time to be interrogated again. She was thankful that Sephiroth had been increasingly less violent with each questioning. And yesterday, he hadn't even come.

"Come on, I'm gonna get you outta this cell for good." Zack said softly as he knelt down beside her.

Tifa's eyes widened and she looked upon Zack with relief. "Zack?! Did you remember?!"

"No." He admitted. "But I his don't see this cell to be fit for a nice girl like you." He said as he helped her to her feet. "Sephiroth left me in charge of you, meaning I can do what I want."

She wasn't sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing, but I it meant getting out of that concrete , it had to be good. She dusted herself off and nodded at Zack.

Soon he lead her to his plain room once more and sat on his bed. Tifa couldn't help bit smile at his familiar face, but a tinge of guilt crept through her as she remembered the last things she said to him. She closed her eyes and walked passed him, to the window and looked out upon the night sky. The orange sun had already retired to bed and now the sky was shades with black and blue swirls as the stars twinkled within.

'_I hate them..' _She swallowed the lump in her throat and gripped the window pane. _'I hate you..' _

"Tifa?" Zack asked, as he stood and walked over to her. He stood beside her and folded his arms as he leaned against the wall. He felt concern for her, deeper than he had imagined as he looked down at her distraught face. Unsure where these feelings emerged from, he turned away a little. "What's wrong?" He asked hesitantly.

"You should take me back to my cell." She said slowly as her gaze slowly turned to meet his. His deep blue eyes caught hers and locked on. He could see the vast amount of pain that grew and dwelled within her and it pained him just to see it. He didn't know why and he couldn't explain it. But over the past week as she explained to him everything about his past, he felt increasingly and inexplicably close to her.

"Why would I do that? Do you like it in there?" He asked, teasingly, trying to lighten the heaviness they felt. He felt like he was about to burst , full of emotions and God knew what else.

"I deserve to be there." She admitted as she looked down, breaking their gaze. Her heart sank, she couldn't hardly stand to look at him any longer. His sweet and innocent gaze had pained her more than she realized.

Upon hearing this, Zack had wondered if he should have listened to Sephiroth when He mentioned Tifa's imminent death. Why was she admitting this? Did she deserve it really? Had he done something wrong? "Why?" He asked, simply. He didn't really believe her, but it seemed as though Sephiroth's words about her were wrong until this point.

"I was cruel to you, Zack." Tifa admitted.

"What? How?" Zack asked, a little afraid of what was to come. Tifa turned away from him and walked to his bed. She kept her back to him as she spoke.

"Sephiroth invaded the place I once called home." She began. "The people used to worship him there. You and Cloud went after him, even I did. He had killed my father that night." She went on.

Something told Zack to go to the girl. So he did, he stood by her as she continued

"After learning of my father's death, I took Sephiroth's sword that was planted in the bloodied soil where my father's body lay and I rushed to the Mako reactor where Sephiroth was" you could see the girl choking back her own tears. "He stood atop a flight of stairs, trying to pass through a door. In my foolishness, I rushed him with his own sword and he quickly defeated me and threw me down the stairs."

Zack winced upon hearing this story, and his stomach began to churn. He ha seen the violence inflicted by his master on Tifa before, and up until this point it hadn't phased him. He motioned for her to continue and helped her sit on the bed.

Tifa took a seat near him and continued. "That's when you came, Zack."

His heart stopped, she looked so serious. He knew he had died, but he had wondered if hers was the hand that took his life. She hadn't gotten to that part of his life, and anxiously awaited as she continued on.

"Y-you knelt down, asking if I was okay. You looked so kind." Tears suddenly fell from her eyes and she was losing her breath, trying not to sob. Suddenly he let out a gasp as Zack's hand gripped hers. "A-and I simply glared at you with hatred. I told you that I hated you all. Even you individually. You were shocked for a momen. And then you told me you understood why. After that, you left and I never saw you again."

"I... Left you defenseless?" Zack questioned. It seemed as though her words, just as they hadn't back then, did not phase him now. He seemed rather upset with himself that he had left her there alone.

"Could you ever forgive me for my cruelty?" She whispered. She didn't know why she was asking his forgiveness, he didn't even know who he was.

"why did I leave you like that?" He asked, concerned as he drew closer to her. "How did you survive such a fall?"

"Cloud quickly came to my rescue then. " she admitted. Her heart ached as she spoke his name.

"Cl-cloud." Zack said quietly. He suddenly grabbed hs of his head. The mention of Cloud's name seemed to trigger an immense amount of pain throughout Zack's cranium. He groaned loudly in pain and fell back on the bed, his legs kicking violently.

"Zack?!" Tifa exclaimed as she placed her hands softly upon his forehead. Zack stopped thrashing and his hands fell limply at his sides. She could see his eyes moving wildly under his eyelids, but he was obviously unconscious. Slowly, Tifa swung his long legs around so they lay on the bed. She did her best to cover him up and stood to leave. She felt him yank her down and she fell onto the bed with him. She curiously looked him over, she could tell he was still sleeping but he held fast to her body, pressing against her as he pulled her close.


	8. Chapter 8: Fading

**Hey readers! Thank you once again for reading and appreciating my story. As always, I certainly appreciate you all and your continued support as I write. You all rock. Thank you thank you thank you! I realize some I you are curious as to what's goin on with Vincent and Cloud, but that will be updated next few chapters ;)**

**I DO NOT OWN FINAL FANTASY**

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**_Chapter 8:Fading_**

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Zack Fair rose early the next morning feeling exceptionally warm. He opened his deep blue eyes and took in his surroundings. Thick, chocolate tresses cascaded along the pillow that his head rested on and he realized a sharp tingling pain in his arm. His eyes came more into focus and he realized the sweet, sleeping form at his side. His lips contorted into a small smile as he pulled away and sat up on his elbow, only to collapse back onto the pillow at the numbness in his right arm. He deducted that she must've slept on his arm like that all night, but the odd thing was, he didn't recall falling asleep at all. His head felt heavy, like he had been punched or knocked into a wall a few times, similar to hanging upside down and letting the blood flow rush to your head. _'How did we end up like this?' _He tried to recall, but he could not. Zack sat up in the bed, pushing the covers off of his body. He realized he was still dressed, which was atypical. He hated sleeping in clothing it irritated him, and made it too uncomfortable to sleep._ 'What happened?' _He thought to himself. Zack sat back against the headboard of the bed and tried to recollect what had happened the night before.

He closed his eyes, remembering how Tifa had asked his forgiveness._ 'Could you ever forgive me for my cruelty?' _He remembered the sorrowful look in her eyes as she asked. He also remembered his reply._ 'Why did I leave you like that?'_ Zack tapped his chin for a moment._ 'What happened after that, what was said?' _He narrowed his gaze, and turned to the sleeping form. He watched her breathing steadily as she slept. She seemed rather comfortable. Must've been nice sleeping in a bed after spending a week sleeping on the cold hard floor of a cell. If she even slept at all. Suddenly as he admired her, he remembered what she said next. _'Cloud quickly came to my rescue then.' _ Had been her words. _'Cloud...Cloud...Cloud... Where do I know that name...'_ He sighed, annoyed that he could not recall anything about this 'Cloud' Person. But he just couldn't shake the nagging feeling in the back of his mind that this 'Cloud' Was extremely important. He felt oddly comfortable around Tifa, and talking with her, and listening to her came very natural to him, and after spending time with her, his defenses were down.

He slowly made his way out of bed, careful not to wake the girl sleeping atop it. After walking around the bed he stopped and knelt down on her side. He hadn't realized how soft her features really were until this point. She always seemed to carry herself with such strength. It was obvious this girl had endured her share of hardships and pain, and although Zack hated to admit it, he was only adding to this. He shook his head, reluctantly and brushed a piece of stray hair away from her face. _'Dont let your guard down, Fair.' _He scolded himself. The Ex-SOLDIER drew back, away from the girl Before heading down stairs to tend to his duties.

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Yuffie woke early to the sound of rustling at the other end of the room. She sat up in the bed and noticed Sephiroth pulling up his black pants and fastening them. She felt her cheeks grow a little warm and looked away.

"Have I woken you? I'm sorry." He said plainly before slipping on a white button up shirt. He grabbed hold of his thick, silver tresses and yanked them out of back of the shirt before buttoning it. He assessed himself in his mirror before looking in Yuffie's direction. She still appeared to be looking away. "Are you troubled?"

'_Troubled?_' She though for a moment. Truth be told, since Sephirpth began training with her, thoughts of Midgar, and her friends seemed to occur less and less. All she could think about was learning more from the man. She finally turned to face him, he looked rather dapper in his dress shirt, but she hardly wanted to admit that. "Are-are you going out today?" She asked, ignoring his question.

Sephiroth took notice of her odd behavior, but decided not to press the matter. "I am." He answered back. He saw a change of expression upon the young girl's face. '_Disappointment?' _He thought. Those who were naturally designed to feel were so difficult to read at times. But as he gazed upon her, something odd weed up within him. It felt warm, and a little bit nauseating. He took a step back for a moment and turned his eyes toward the door.

If Yuffie were honest with herself, she_ was_ a bit disappointed. First of all, she envied him for being able to leave when he pleased. It must be nice to get out of the lonely mansion once in a while. And secondly, she really had hoped to train with him once more. The man was incredibly strong, fast and smart. These were qualities Yuffie had desired to posses. "Well, then have a good time." She said shrugging her shoulders. She didn't want to appear as disappointed as she felt.

He looked at her over his shoulder, studying her posture and her expression. She was slouched back a bit, and her bottom lip was pursed a bit. _'Would that be... Sulking?' _He suddenly found himself chuckling a bit. He knew this to be joy he was experiencing.

"Why are you laughing like that?! It's creepy." She stated.

Sephiroth immediately ceased and turned to her. "You are like a child." He said as a small smile crept upon his face.

Yuffie's eyes narrowed. She never realized up until now how similar Sephiroth was to Vincent. It wasn't too long ago that Vincent had pointed out her childish qualities. These qualities had cost her any shot at a relationship with Vincent. It pained her, hearing the words again. She wanted to prove him wrong, Vincent. But hadn't she? "Don't say that!" She snapped.

"What? I was simply pointing out the obvious, Yuffie. Did you not do the same to me moments ago?" He asked, facing her fill on. He extended his arm in her direction and gently placed his middle and index finger beneath her delicate chin and raised her face. He locked eyes with her, firmly, but his expression significantly softened. "Am I not, _creepy_?"

Yuffie felt a small sting of guilt singe through her as she looked up at him. She was certain for a split second she saw pain whirling deep within those eyes. His soft expression took her aback for a moment. This was a look she had not seen before. It was as if a different person had kidnaped her and harmed her so gravely before. Like she was handed off afterward to a criminal who was much kinder but a thousand ones more complex. _'Am I pitying him? No Yuffie stop it. You know what he is capable of!' _Inwardly, she scolded herself. '_Still...' _ "I'm sorry I called you creepy."

"Do not apologize for what you know to be the truth, Yuffie." He spoke as he drew away from her. "Enjoy the day to yourself." He said as he turned his back to her. Without another word, Sephiroth exited the bedroom.

Yuffie found herself reaching for the empty space in which he had just stood. Quickly she reprimanded herself and pulled away.

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Sephiroth trotted down the stair csaw, spiraling downwar. His silver hair flowing behind him as he swiftly moved downward. Zack greeted him at the bottom step and gave a small nod once Sephiroth reached the bottom.

"You seem chipper today, Sir." Zack noted, trying to remain unsuspicious of the information he was learnin from Tifa. Certainly his loyalty was being challenged.

Sephiroth smirked and patted Zack'a shoulder. "I'm headed out for supplies. Before hand though, can you gather Tifa? I need to ask her a few things.

A lump grew in Zack's throat and he instantly felt nauceous. He didn't want to hand her over to Sephiroth only to see her brutally beaten. True, Sephiroth had not harmed her in a few days, but he had patterns. He knew exactly what he was doing, and he was trying to break Tifa of her guard. Still, Zack obliged and rushed to his room to awaken Tifa.

She was still asleep, It was so obvious she had needed it. Zack looked down at her painfully before gently placing his hand on her arm and shaking her. "Tifa." He whispered.

"Clous?!" She gasped as she flung up out of the bed. Soon she realized who was before her, and the memories of the current situation befell her once more. Her cheeks reddened a bit, embarrassed about her sudden outburst.

Zack smoothed out her hair a little, and looked at her sympathetically. "He wants to ask you some things today. Are you sure you have no idea where your friend is?"

Tifa immediately shoved his hand away, rejecting his kind gesture. "Don't think that he wasn't your friend too, Zack. You just don't remember. And no, I truly don't know where he is." She snapped. Zack sighed heavily, reluctantly Leading her back to her cell where Sephiroth awaited.

Once inside, Tifa stood tall and narrowed he eyes as she faced him. "You know the definition of insanity is..."

"I am aware, misa Lockhart, what it is to be insane. But wouldn't that put you in the same boat as I? Had you answered my question the first time, the same result would not occur, correct?" Sephiroth noted. Tifa lotathed his articulate manor.

"If you were as smart as you pretend to be, you'd know I was telling the truth." She spat as she glared intensely at him.

Zack stared in at the happening, completely torn as he watched. His eyes widened large as he saw his master slap Tifa across the face with the back of his bare hand. He could hear the slapping sound of flesh against flesh and cringed a little.

"Do not insult me!" He boomed. Tifa rubbed her cheek, she looked at him writhing with anger. She was completely unable to control her rage now, and she knew that it would cost her greatly.

Swiftly, she dove to her right and roundhouse kicked him in the stomach, sephiroth stumbled back, his left foot crossing the threshold of the cell. His anger was aroused and he walked back into the cell, dusting off the dirty foot print on his once clean white shirt. Tifa allowed him no time to retaliate and she began throwing rapid punches in his direction. One after another, he blocked with ease until he gasped in shock as a single punch found it's way upon his left cheek. He had to hand it to her, she was rather strong. She had only improved over the years.

Angrily, he grabbed hold of her wrist that had carried the blow to his face and began to twist it. Tifa contorted her body to the side and then swung her left leg at his hip, stopping on impact.

"Tifa!" Yuffie exclaimed as she suddenly appeared in the doorway with Zack. "Sephiroth."

Instantly, Sephiroth released Tifa, but Tifa would not cease. She leapt into the air and kicked the man hard in the chest. He stumbled back a bit, Tifa charged him once more before gasping loudly. Yuffie had positioned herself between she and Sephiroth.

"Stop it. Both of you." She scolded.

Tifa stared at her companion in shock. '_Just what has he done to you?' _She thought, disgusted.

"Sephiroth! Tifa is telling the truth! You don't need to resort to violence." she exclaimed."Tifa, don't provoke him!"

"Yuffie." Sephiroth and Tifa whispered in unison. Sephiroth examined the elder girl for a moment and he studied her perplexed and angry face. He could see in her eyes that she had been honest, but that did not quench the desire for revenge within his soul. "Fine. I shall put out a search for Cloud. Once he is found, we will move forward with our plans. Zack, " he said, turning to his assistant. He grabbed hold of Tifa's arm and shoved her in his direction "keep watch over her while I am out. "

Tifa stumbled into Zacks arms and she grabbed hold of his shirt. She looked back at her friend completely flabbergasted at her words.

"Sir," Yuffie spoke out. "Would it be okay if I went too?" She asked, almost shyly.

"I would love for you to accompany me." Sephiroth smiled a small smile and offered his arm to the girl. Yuffie hooked her arm into his and looked back at Tifa who appeared to be fuming with rage.

"What the hell are you doing, Yuffie!?l" Tifa exclaimed as she attempted to break free of Zack's grip to run to her friend. "Let me go!" she screamed as tears streamed down her face.

Yuffie turned away, unable to face her friend. She really wasn't aware of what she was doing, it felt as though the words just fell from her mouth without a thought.

"Keep the woman under control, Zack." Sephiroth commanded before slipping out the front door with Yuffie at his side.

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Tifa sank to her knees and her body began to tremble. She felt betrayed by her own. She desperately wanted to believe Yuffie was merely playing pretend, but Tifa knew when she was being truthful, and when she was not. Her actions hadbeen sincere and it caused Tifa to question everything. Suddenly, a pair of strong arms brought her to her feet and held her steady. Slowly, she turned in his arms and looked at Zack.

"You've got to remember." She whispered.


	9. Chapter 9: Bonds Have Been Shattered

**Hello to all of my faithful readers! Thank you so much for all of your continued support! You all are so kind. Thanks again. I hope you're enjoying this so far! I know I am enjoying writing it! This Chapter is really emotional, it actually made me cry writing it. I'm sorry if I paraphrased too much!**

**As Always**

**I DO NOT OWN FINAL FANTASY**

**_Chapter 9: Bonds Have Been Shattered_**

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Yuffie had been unaware that Sephiroth had such a plethora of people working for him. They rarely showed their faces unless ordered to. Apparently he had a driver other than Zack. She sat in the back seat of the Cadillac in which she had been taken with her captor as she silently stared out the window at the trees that whizzed by as they drove. Inside, she was struggling with her own conscious. She hadn't a clue why she went with him in the car, and left Tifa alone with Zack to cry her eyes out. _'Is that because deep down, I trust that Zack won't hurt her? Or is that because I genuinely wanted to spend time with the 'creep'?'_ She questioned inwardly as her eyes continued to study the passing scenery. It appeared to her that they were heading in the opposite direction of Midgar, for obvious reasons._ 'Why did I leave Tifa like that? Do I care?' _Yuffie looked down at her hands that had been uncomfortably clasped together. Sephiroth remained almost painfully quiet. She was desperately trying to understand the dilemma within herself, but she could not. She began to wonder about Sephiroth, and what made him the way he was now? So cold, stoic and strong. Slowly, she turned her gaze in his direction, he too was staring out the window on his side, so she could not see his face. She could only see his silky hair that cascaded down his back, standing out significantly against the black leather of his coat.

"Uhm" She began, feeling instantly nervous as he turned his head to face her. He gave her an inquisitive look before motioning for her to continue with his hand and a small nod. "How did you become so strong?"

Sephiroth tilted his head to the side like a confused puppy for a moment. _'Has she really never heard the stories?' _He thought inwardly as he looked upon her curious face. "I find it rather hard to believe your friends have not mentioned it to you, Yuffie." He stated, quietly, returning his gaze to the passing scenery. Yuffie could tell it wasn't a subject he particularly wanted to talk about, but still, she wanted to know more about him, for reasons unknown even to her.

"They never told me much." She stated, as she scooted closer to the man. She found herself to be extremely surprised when she felt her thigh pressed right against his thigh in the back seat. Her heart suddenly started to thump, loud and hard in her chest, and even Sephiroth turned to her and looked at her with a look that almost expressed surprise. "S-Sorry." She said, looking away.

Sephiroth placed a cool hand on her lower thigh and gave a small squeeze before releasing her. "It's quite alright." He admitted, almost blushing as he turned away from her. He hadn't really made much physical contact with her since that first day, which made her nervous and butterflies flew wildly within her stomach.

Yuffie's heart rate increased even more at his touch. She too, turned away. She wasn't sure what to say to the man, it was obvious he was resisting her questions. _'Could his past be extremely painful?'_ She questioned inwardly.

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Zack helped Tifa into his room and he sat with her on the bed after he had prepared a meal for them. It seemed as though Yuffie and Sephiroth were gone longer than expected as the day wore on and night was soon approaching. She had been so silent, and had hardly touched the food he had made for them. He knew that something was deeply troubling her, and he didn't like seeing her that way at all. He truly did care for her well being, even though he knew that he was not supposed to. After spending the time with her, and watching her crumble in the emotional heap that she was, he couldn't help it. He just couldn't. She reluctantly sat on his bed and looked down at her hands that sat in her lap. She was thankful for the clothing he let her borrow, and she was comforted by the scent that lingered on them. It was the same smell he always had, musky and strong. It reminded her of the times when Sephiroth was a hero and Zack was too. It reminded her of the times when she lead them through her hometown before it was destroyed.

"Why don't you tell me more?" Zack suggested, as a gesture to cheer her up.

She looked up at him with sorrowful eyes, her brows lowered and her lips contorted into a frown. "Why should I? You never remember." She said.

"Tifa." He said sternly as he placed a hand on her shoulder. The sound of her name escaping his lips made her heart stop every time. "Tell me."

She looked away for a moment. There were two very important things that she had yet to tell him about, and she was saving those for dire moments, in hope that they would trigger his memories. The first was the obvious, Aerith Gainsborough, the love of his life who tragically lost her own life by his current master's hand, and Zack's own death, protecting Cloud. Tifa gulped, recalling the fateful day that Aerith lost her life, she remembered Cloud's guilt that he carried after Zack's death had been magnified a thousand times over once Aerith too, lost her life.

"Zack. You were a SOLDIER, you remember me telling you all about that?" She asked. Zack gave her a nod. "Well during that time, you were in Midgar, in Sector 5. There was a Mako reactor there and you fell from that level, all the way down. You landed in an old church building that had been occupied by a young girl who cultivated flowers there."

"A girl?" Zack asked as he scratched his head.

Tifa nodded and continued. "Her name was Aerith. She was one of the most beautiful people I've ever known. When you first saw her, Zack, you thought she was an angel."

Zack gave a small smile, as he tried to recall, but he couldn't. But hearing about a pretty girl that he mistook for an angel, she had to be smoking.

"She was slender, and petite. Her hair was long and honey colored and she had the most vibrant eyes that you could imagine. You asked her on a date, like you normally did with pretty girls. She didn't accept at first, but you insisted. Over time, you two spent more and more time together and became rather close. She comforted you when you needed it most, and I believe she really loved you."

Zack inhaled deeply as he listened to Tifa explain the girl. Some sinking feeling overcame him as she continued.

"After about two and a half years, you two could no longer see each other because of what happened in my hometown. After Sephiroth attacked, you and Cloud were confiscated as test subjects for SHINRA. You were gone for four years before making your escape." She explained. "I don't know how Aerith felt, but it must have been extremely difficult not knowing where you were. I know I was afraid for Cloud."

"Experiments?" Zack asked, nervously.

"To this day, Cloud will not tell me what was done to you two. I think it's too painful for him to remember." Truth be told, all of this was hard for_ Tifa_ to remember. She desperately wanted to get it over with, but she still knew she had to tell him. The goal was to get Zack to recall, but telling him in explicit detail was difficult for her.

"We got away though, right?" He asked as he began to be drawn in by her words. He without a doubt, believed her, and the things she was saying were resounding within his heart.

She looked down, and nervously clasped her hands together. "You two were viciously perused. SHINRA did not want you to escape. But you fought them off, left and right. Cloud was extremely sick, and he couldn't hardly move. So it was you on your own, fighting everyone off. It looked as though you were going to make it, but..."

"B-but?"

"You were headed back to Midgar, so you could return to Aerith. You spotted someone trying to assassinate Cloud and you saved him there. That's when the battle began. You knew that... " She gulped. "You knew it would be your last. Hundreds of troops awaited you two that day. You hid Cloud behind a rock and went out to face them." She found herself surprised suddenly as tears fell from her cheeks.

He could feel the emotion welling up within him as she spoke, and he found himself moving closer to the crying girl to console her. Tifa pushed him away, desperate to finish the story.

"Zack, you didn't stand a chance against all of them. They..." She gasped. "After they had left you for dead, Cloud rushed out to you. He witnessed your final breaths and you passed your sword and your legacy to him." She rubbed her head, trying to remember the final words that Zack had spoken. Cloud rarely spoke of it, but he had told her once. "My honor, My dreams" You told him, and you handed him the buster sword you had received from your mentor, Angeal. You remember him?"

Zack slowly nodded as she spoke on, a large lump gathering in his throat. It made it rather difficult to swallow, or even breath.

"They're yours now, you'll be my living legacy.' You said to him. He told me you grabbed hold of his face and pressed it firmly against your chest. He listened as your heart slowly stopped beating. From that day on..." She paused. "Cloud wasn't the same after that."

Zack looked down. "So that's how it ended then. So I was a hero?"

Tifa weakly smiled. "Yeah. You were, Zack." She whispered.

"Is.. Aerith, this girl... Is she still out there?"

Tifa went silent. How was she to explain this to him? "Zack she..."

"Tell me!" He boomed as he held fast to her shoulders. Tifa was in shock as she opened her mouth.

"Zack she was killed... But she saved the planet in doing so. Sephiroth he.."

Zack stood, angered but he didn't know why. He didn't know this girl, he didn't know Cloud and he didn't know Aerith. But hearing of his own demise, and then Aerith's... "It was Sephiroth's hand?"

Tifa nodded, she wanted to explain how Aerith had died, and how she and Cloud had become close after they met. It was painful for her too, to remember how the girl had swiftly taken hold of a piece of Cloud's heart too. That Piece was a lot bigger than the one she held on to. She watched Zack pace around the room before wobbling a bit. "Zack?" She asked as she too, stood. He turned toward her, and she noticed his face had paled dramatically. He grabbed hold of his head and screamed out in pain before dropping to his knees. "Zack?!" She yelled as she rushed to him.

"T-Tifa..." He moaned as he doubled over. Suddenly he was flooded with images of blood, chaos and bodies. Then the face of a blue eyed boy with light freckles across his cheeks flashed in the forefront of his mind._ 'Cloud?' _Zack gasped loudly, as more and more memories seemed to surface. He could see Sephiroth, standing near this young boy who he now knew to be Cloud. He saw Tifa, and the girl he knew to be Aerith. He recalled falling through level after level until he met the honey haired beauty. Memory after memory appeared until until finally, one memory came into full focus. He rubbed his eyes, but it was all he could see. A small figure flying from a rusted metal staircase and landing limply on the floor of a reactor. He walked up to the girl and knelt down. His heart felt as if two large hands grabbed hold of it and squeezed hard. _'Tifa?!' _He clasped his chest, breathing unsteadily as he recalled the look of pain and terror in her eyes. Suddenly, Zack was aware.

"Tifa!" He screamed. He became revolted by his own behavior, whom he had been serving and what he had done to assist Sephiroth in the harming of his friends. He began to gag uncontrollably until he vomited on the floor before him. He could hear her muffled screams as she knelt beside him.

"Zack!? Zack!?" She screamed as she gently squeezed his arms. "ZACK!"

"TIFA!" He said as he finally raised his head. He looked upon her with large eyes, tears streaming down his cheeks like waterfalls that never ceased. "God, Tifa!" He said as he suddenly embraced the girl. His body was trembling terribly as he held her. He could feel her chest pressed tightly against hers, and he could feel his own heart pounding furiously against hers. "I'm... I'm so sorry.." He whispered as he tried to choke back the tears that escaped his eyes. He was now totally aware of who he was, and who the girl before him was. He retracted away from Tifa and placed his hands on her face, feeling the softness of her skin. He was desperate to know if she was real. "It's you."

Tifa gave him a nod, and examined him. She too, trembling. "Y-you remember?" She whispered, hopeful.

Zack stared at his own two hands in front of his face and waved them about, he checked his pulse and yelped in excitement, tears still falling. "I'm alive!?"

Tifa couldn't help but giggle a bit, even though tears fell from her eyes. "Zack." She sighed, relieved.

"We gotta get out of here!" He exclaimed as he rose to his feet. Tifa too, stood, but she was a bit unsteady. He wrapped an arm around her waist and helped her stay afoot.

"Don't forget about Yuffie." Tifa reminded. "We need to think this through, first." She gasped loudly when she felt his strong arms wrap around her once more.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered once more.

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The outing had lasted nearly all day, and Yuffie had bounced about between store after store with Sephiroth. She hadn't realized how meticulous he was until she had run around and shopped for food items with him. Each fruit or vegetable he picked had to be perfect and without flaw, and had to be in its peak for ripeness. After gathering enough food, they had done some clothing shopping for Yuffie. Which she quite enjoyed. He became easily annoyed with her antics, much like any man would while shopping with a female.

They sat in the back of the car, silently as they headed back to the mansion. He had been rather surprised the girl did not attempt to escape, but he had to admit, it pleased him. The sound of the rain pelting upon the roof of the car and the windows calmed him, and made him rather relaxed as he sat back in his seat. He could see that the young girl was tired as she slouched over. Her eyes were becoming increasingly heavy and suddenly her body slid in his direction. He nearly flinched as she lay her head on his shoulder. It was rather shocking, to say the least.

He slowly relaxed his shoulders a bit and looked down at her sleeping form. She seemed rather relaxed, which too, surprised him. But a small smile found its way across his face as he admired her. He had to admit, the girl was rather cute. He lay his head against the back of the seat and closed his own eyes for the remainder of the ride.

"Sir." Said the driver as the car came to a halt. Sephiroth immediately awakened and sat up. He looked about the back seat, and noticed Yuffie had slumped down further in the seat and her head lay in his lap. His face became a little red at the situation. He noticed her small fingers twirling a small strand of his silver locks as she slept. Gently, he placed a hand atop her head and stroked her thick, black hair.

Yuffie shifted a bit, but snuggled into his lap more, to become more comfortable. She smiled and seemed to enjoy his touch, even though she was asleep. He continued to pet her hair tenderly, not sure why. It just seemed to be the natural response he supposed. "Yuffie." He whispered quietly. "Time to wake up, we've returned."

Yuffie stirred and turned her body so that her back was against the seat in the car and her head was upward, facing Sephiroth. She slowly opened her brown eyes and stared up at Sephiroth for a few moments in surprise. "Huh?"

He gave a small chuckle and removed his hand from her head. "We're here."

Yuffie sat up quickly and withdrew from his lap. She was a little embarrassed, but he was rather comfortable after all. She jumped out of the car and stood in the rain for a moment as Sephiroth exited the car as well. Soon, she felt her shoulders grow heavy and she looked to her right. Sephiroth had gently draped his coat over her shoulders. He placed his hand on the small of her back and ushered her inside, out of the rain. Once inside, he turned to her and gave her a soft smile.

"Go get some warm clothes on, and I'll get some dinner ready." He said, smoothly.

Yuffie gave him a nod and started up the stairs. About midway, she stopped. "Could we train, first?" She asked, curiously.

He thought for a moment, before nodding in agreement. Any time he could spend with her, he would take, especially if it was her idea. "Yes, that will be fine. I suppose I can ask Zack to prepare some food for us afterward. Dress accordingly and I shall meet you in the training room."

Yuffie excitedly headed back upstairs.

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	10. Chapter 10: Sparks

**I know you all have been waiting for reactions from Vincent and Cloud! Well... Here they are at last. We are on chapter ten, so it's going to be rather a big chapter! Featuring everyone! :D Hope you enjoy it! Here it comes.**

**As Always**

**I DO NOT OWN FINAL FANTASY**

**_Chapter 10: Sparks_**

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Cloud Strife paced the bar back and forth as his hands fidgeted angrily. Over the course of the last two days, he Vincent, Cid, and Barret had been asking around town for any sightings of Sephiroth. They had come up empty handed each time. He was running out of ideas, and he didn't know how long Tifa could remain strong. Yuffie was another story, he was terrified she would run her mouth and say something ridiculous causing Sephiroth to spew in anger and break her small neck or something terrible. He was inwardly scolding himself for leaving in the first place, things wouldn't have turned out this way. If it was Cloud Sephiroth wanted, he could've just gotten it over with, but since Cloud was missing, he had to take the next best thing.

Suddenly, a familiar friend burst through the door of the bar and looked around. Cloud looked in his directions and locked eyes with Vincent. "Anything?" Cloud asked, anxiously. Vincent had been scouring Midgar, asking anyone who may know. But it was to no avail. He shook his head slowly and lowered his gaze.

"I was unable to find any clues." He admitted. He never raised his eyes as he replied. Cloud walked up to him and narrowed his eyes.

"Vincent, we have to find the..."

"I know that!" Vincent snapped, causing Cloud to take a few steps backward. It was a rarity for Vincent to raise his voice in such a manor. Matter of fact, Cloud could not recall the last time he had done so.

"Calm down, Vincent." Cloud said, still backing up. He hadn't realized how frightening Vincent could be. Vincent raised his gaze to look at Cloud. His eyes were nearly glowing, and you could see on his face an expression of agony. True, Vincent usually looked as if he was in some degree of pain, but not like this. "Vincent?" Cloud asked, concerned.

"I know we have to find them, I just..." He started. Cloud began to wonder if Vincent's behavior had anything to do with Yuffie. He recalled that the two had worked together not long ago, and he thought for a while that they had developed feelings for one another.

"What's wrong?" Cloud dared to ask.

"Nothing." Vincent replied quickly as he turned his face away. His eyes caught a glimmer of light as he looked out the window of the bar. Suddenly, realization hit him and he rushed outside to study the item which had captured his attention.

"Vincent?" Cloud asked, as he followed after his friend. They stood on the sidewalk looking upward. Vincent's left arm was extended and he appeared to be pointing to something. Cloud's eyes traveled the length of Vincent's arm and looked in the direction it pointed to. It was a stoplight, a regular site. Cloud shrugged his shoulders and looked at Vincent curiously. "Did ya just now notice that, Vince? It's been there a while. It's a traffic light." He informed.

Vincent looked at Cloud, not amused. "I am aware of what it is, but look." He said pointing downward a smidge. Cloud's eyes focused in and then widened when he spotted it.

"A traffic camera!" Cloud exclaimed upon seeing the device that pointed clearly in the direction of the could be the ticket, their way of finding out what happened to the girls. "Can you hack it?!"

"No. I don't even know how to turn on a computer, or my cellphone for that matter. What leads you to believe I could hack that?" Vincent reprimanded. He felt as though Cloud should know his strengths and weaknesses by now, after all, Vincent was rather old, and not up to speed with technology. Nor did he desire to be up to speed with it, in fact, it was only because of Yuffie that he knew anything about technology whatsoever.

"Hmm... I bet I can get some shit outta that thing." Boomed Barret as he strode up to the two. "Nice thinkin' Vince."

Vincent gave a nod, before retracting inside. Cloud thanked Barret and left him to do his thing. After stepping inside, Cloud closed the door behind him and looked at Vincent.

"You wanna tell me what's on your mind, Vincent?" He asked calmly. He knew Vincent was very reserved and never opened up to anyone. Cloud knew the outcome of the question, but it didn't stop him from asking. Vincent had always implied words of wisdom to Cloud when he needed it, and Cloud really wanted to return the favor in anyway he could.

"No." Replied Vincent as he took a seat at the bar. He shook his head, recalling Yuffie and her hyperactive behavior. She would often sit atop the bar, or on tables next to Vincent. What was wrong with sitting on a chair like a normal person. But he realized then, that none of them, not even Tifa, were normal. His heart sank a measure as he thought of his friends. _'Why do I feel this way?'_

"Have you ever been in love, Vincent?" Cloud said, suddenly, breaking the silence in the room.

Vincent looked over at Cloud, who seemed a bit distraught himself. A Natural response to their current situation. "Yes." He replied.

"Did you ever love..." he paused for a moment, trying to brace himself for an oncoming outburst. "Yuffie?"

Vincent fell silent and looked away from Cloud. He stared at the silver surface of the bar, which was so clean he could see his own reflection within. Distorted a bit, but he could see his own pale face, staring back at him. _'Was that love?'_ He really couldn't be sure, but the aching in his chest at the sudden loss of his most annoying companion spoke for itself. "Did you love someone other than Tifa, Cloud?" He retorted. He knew the question would sting Cloud as much as Cloud's question has stung him. Only fair, if you asked Vincent.

Cloud too, fell silent. That was uncalled for in his opinion. He hated the fact that he was unable to give his whole heart to Tifa, but he couldn't help it. Aerith was such a charming girl, it was easy for anyone to fall for her. Cloud bit his tongue, holding back the profanities he wanted to spew. But still, Vincent's subtle reply gave him the answer he sought. He _did_ love Yuffie.

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"Stand up straight, your eyes should not be downcast." Sephiroth scolded, as he repositioned Yuffie. He gently raised her chin before taking a few steps back. "Bend your knees but keep your back straight. Your posture is terrible."

Yuffie let out an annoyed and exasperated sigh. They'd been at this for hours, he only seemed to correct her over and over. "Okay, Okay."

"You should be able to predict your opponent's movements by the look in their eyes, generally, they will give away their next move. Their eyes will typically fall in the direction of their attack. You don't need to focus so much on their limbs as you do as their eyes." He explained. He then proceeded to swing a few light punches at her, which she was easily able to deflect using this new tactic he had explained to her. She smiled widely in excitement.

"I didn't know that!" She exclaimed. She then noticed Sephiroth pushing his hair over his shoulder, a gesture he often did because of the length of his freefalling locks. Once again, she noted how impractical his hair was and she let out a sigh as she rolled her dark eyes. "Come here." She said.

He looked at her perplexed. "What?"

Yuffie walked to a small stool that was placed in the far right corner of the room, beneath the shurikken on the wall. She patted it's round seat. "Sit. That damn hair is getting in your way."

Sephiroth reluctantly obliged and sat, but he held onto his hair for a moment. "You're not cutting it." He warned.

Yuffie giggled a bit. "No, silly, I'm just gonna tie it back." She replied. Sephiroth slowly released his hair and Yuffie took hold of it, pulling it all behind his shoulders. Her fingers ran through it on his scalp as she gathered it together. His hair was incredibly soft, surprising for a male with such a head of hair. He closed his eyes involuntarily as her hands caressed his head. Her touch was heavenly, and he hadn't realized how wonderful it felt when someone touched his hair and ran their fingers through it. She took three equal sections of his hair and began to braid it. She had to bend down as she approached the ends of his hair, it was so long. Finally, she removed her black and white headband from her own forehead and tied the ends of his hair in a small bow behind his back. She stepped back and smiled, putting her hands on her hips.

"There." She said. "That way it's not hanging everywhere. You know, that hair of yours is really impractical for fighting. That's why I keep mine so short, it doesn't get in the way! Especially when you run! I could easily grab hold of it and yank you back!" She stated, as a small smile found its place on her lips. Sephiroth stood and turned to face her.

"Thank you." He stated with a nod. He then patted the top of her head and gave a smile. Looking upon her happy face, made him feel something unusual inside. It was a little unsettling, simply because it was something he was not used to. How she was able to recover from his previous actions, he didn't know. But he had regretted them since the day it happened. "Keep working, I need to check on something." He stated as he walked to the door.

"But... I just fixed your hair, so you can train more!" She exclaimed, pouting a little. He grew to love that small pout she gave, and perhaps that explained some of the actions, and things that he did.

He simply smiled a little and closed his eyes. "Hm." He said before exiting the room.

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Zack held onto Tifa for an unknown amount of time, he just couldn't let her go. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps approaching his room alarmed him. Unable to think of anything else, he drew Tifa into a firm kiss, holding fast to her shoulders. Instinctively, Tifa placed her hands on his chest, pushing away a little. But truth be told, she enjoyed the feeling of his lips against hers.

The door flung open and Sephiroth noticed the two in the awkward embrace. It was obvious to him that Tifa was resisting, he resolved that Zack was simply using her as he wished. Which is what Sephiroth had instructed he do. "Excuse me, I'll leave you be." Sephiroth stated before exiting the room and closing the door behind him.

Slowly, Zack pulled his lips away from Tifa's but kept his arms around her waist. Her cheeks were red with a blush, obviously from what had just occurred between them. Zack would be lying though, if this was the first time he ever imagined kissing Tifa. Shame on him for having a crush on his friend's girl way back in the day. He really had the urge to do it again, but was unsure how Tifa felt about that.

Tifa withdrew her palms from his chest and her arms dangled loosely around her hips as she looked up at him wide eyed. She could tell how red her cheeks were, and she wanted to look away from him, but she couldn't take her eyes off of him. She couldn't explain the feeling that overcame her when he had kissed her like that. Slowly, she brought her lips close to his once more as she stood on her toes. Zack drew her close, blushing a bit at her new reaction. Soon, his lips were pressed softly against hers once more and he held her there for a moment. Before he could continue on, he remembered their situation and it put a huge damper on his mood. He pulled away once more.

"We need a plan, Teef." He stated as he put his hands on his hips.

She smiled to herself upon hearing him call her 'Teef'. Now she was certain.. Zack was back without a doubt. "We should get you cleaned up first, then we'll come up with a plan."

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Barret walked into the bar, obviously elated and eager to tell his companions what he had learned. "I got some footage of a car." He said.

Cloud and Vincent's head's snapped in his direction upon hearing these words. This was good news, they had hoped anyway. Barret walked upstairs and sat himself on the couch in the living room, feeding the information that his arm had collected to his cellphone. Vincent and Cloud followed eagerly and stood behind the couch leaning down. Once Barret had finished adding the footage to his phone, he turned it on it's side and began to play it. You could clearly see the bar, and cars continuously zoomed by, one after another, but soon, the one they were looking for, appeared. The noticed a large black car wheeled up to the bar and parked itself right at the sidewalk, directly in front of Seventh Heaven. You could not see the driver very clearly, as he was facing the opposite end of the camera, but the saw clearly who exited the Cadillac. Cloud's blue eyes narrowed in disgust when he saw Sephiroth walk into the bar._ 'No..' _He thought to himself.

Vincent's stomach was churning too, as he watched the stride confidently into the bar. It was clear now that they were about to find out the fate of Tifa and Yuffie. A few moments of silence passed, nothing happened, or changed on the screen besides the cars that had passed by in the background. Suddenly, the door to the bar swung wide open and Tifa's body was seen being thrown violently into the car. Cloud winced and grabbed hold of the back of the couch angrily. Vincent watched, growing sicker by the minute when he saw Yuffie rush out behind Sephiroth. _'Idiot..'_ he thought to himself as he watched her foolish action. _'She should have known better!'_ He thought, angrily.

They watched Tifa cough in pain, and try to rise as Yuffie was bond and fell to her knees in agony. They saw Sephiroth saunter over to the two and kneel down. You could see the look of curiosity in his eyes as he examined Yuffie's face. You could tell that it was a split decision he had made to bring her along, and before they knew it, the car sped off into the distance, with the two girls inside.

"They headed away from Midgar?" Cloud asked quietly, trying not to think of Tifa and Yuffie in Sephiroth's care, although it was inevitable, and unchangeable now. They_ were_ with Sephiroth, and he could not change that fact.

"S'what it looks like, kid." Barret replied, reluctantly as he pocketed the evidence.

"Someone needs to head that way, in search of the vehicle." Vincent stated.

"We can send Cid. It may be easy to spot the car from the sky." Barret replied. "But from the looks of it, he wanted you, spiky."

"I know that." Cloud replied, guilt tracing each word he spoke.

"Well, obviously they are probably still searching for you." Vincent said.

"We can look for em, but the more obvious rout is to bring em to us. You stay here. It's the place they'll look for you first. Then, we'll get the girls back."

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Yuffie practiced her posture, and her movements a bit more before becoming increasingly bored. The rain tired her out, even though she typically had so much energy. She slowly dragged her feet to the other end of the room and looked out the window. She spotted Sephiroth walking about the flower beds in the rain alone. She drew back, curious as to why someone would stand out in the rain willingly. But it didn't seem to be phasing him. Still, she was curious as to what he was up to, so she made her way out of the room, round the corner and to the front door. She stopped for a moment as her hand grazed the cool metal door handle. _'Are you going after him?'_ She drew back and turned her back to the door_. 'Stupid...'_ She scolded herself for a moment and headed to the stairs. _'Still, he's being foolish, and he could get sick if he stays out there... I'm just gonna ask him to come in so he doesn't catch cold.'_ Yuffe turned back around and swung the front door open. The storm seemed to be raging, thunder was booming and the rain pelted down hard. The droplets were large and the pounded upon her skin as she made her way around the house to the flower gardens.

She finally made her way around to the gardens and noticed Sephiroth staring up at the sky, his back to her. She walked up to him, smiling as she noticed his hair was still braided neatly. "What are you doing out here!? You're gonna get sick, you know." She stated.

Sephiroth turned and faced her. "The same could be said for you, what are you doing?" He asked.

"Well, I came here to ask you the same thing. Why are you out here?" Yuffie questioned as her hair began sticking to her face with the rain.

"I'm simply thinking." He replied.

"Out here? Can't you think inside?"

"Are you worried for me?" He inquired curiously as he raised an eyebrow.

Yuffie suddenly blushed and looked down. "Yes." She answered honestly. "I don't want you to get sick."

"I won't, I don't get sick." He admitted. "You on the other hand, need to go inside. You will get sick being out here like this."

"I am sick." She mumbled. Sephiroth's eyes widened with concern and he placed his hands on her face.

"You don't feel fevered, is it your stomach?" He questioned.

"It's my heart." She said before grabbing hold of his shirt tightly and yanking him downward. She stood tall on her toes and placed her lips against his as the rain pelted down upon them.


End file.
